2 

g 


- 

H 


TEN  MONTHS  IN  BRAZIL 


INCIDENTS    OF  VOYAGES  AND    TRAVELS,  DESCRIPTIONS 

OF    SCENERY   AND    CHARACTER,    NOTICES    OF 

COMMERCE    AND    PRODUCTIONS,    ETC. 


BY 


JOHN    CODMAN^   l£  I  <4  H 


BOSTON: 
LEE     AND     SHEPARD. 

1867. 


£\ 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  18C7,  by 

LEE   AND    SHEPARD, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


STEREOTYPED    AT    THE 

BOSTON     STEREOTYPE    FOUNDRY, 

4   SPRING   LANE. 


~ 

Cb* 


TO 


MY  WIFE   AND   DAUGHTER, 

WHO    HAVE    SO   OFTEN   BEEN   MY   COMPANIONS    ON   THE    OCEAN 
AND    IN   FOREIGN   LANDS, 


0f  ant  0bit  10 


IS   AFFECTIONATELY    INSCRIBED. 


MOST  of  these  observations  are  condensed  from 
the  leaves  of  a  journal  kept  on  board  the  steamer 
"  Tejuca."  As  the  outward  passage  of  that  ship 
was  direct,  and  afforded  no  incidents  worthy  of 
note,  I  have  prefixed  to  our  experiences  on  the 
coast  a  narrative  of  the  voyage  of  the  "  Cotopaxi," 
made  in  the  previous  year,  particularly  because  it 
contains  some  references  to  St.  Thomas,  which  may 
be  of  interest  to  travellers,  this  island  being  in  the 
route  of  the  Brazilian  mail  steamers. 

(4) 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PAGE 

Commencement  of  the  Voyage.  —  Sailors'  Superstitions.  — 
Tossing  in  the  Gulf  Stream.  —  Effects  of  Sea-sickness. 

—  Arrival  at  St.  Thomas.  —  Condition  of  the  Negroes. 

—  Results  of  Emancipation.  —  Female  Coal-carriers.  — 
A  Black  Squall.  —  The  Captain  in  Peril.  —  Rescue  by 

an  African  Goddess n 

CHAPTER    II. 

Climate  of  St.  Thomas.  —  Yellow  Fever.  —  Modes  of 
Travelling. —A  Ride  to  the  Hills. —  A  Little  Den- 
mark.—  Visit  to  Santa  Anna*.  —  His  Appearance  and 
Conversation.  —  His  Prophecies 22 

CHAPTER    III. 

Trade  "at  St.  Thomas.  —  Departure  on  the  Voyage.  — 
Passing  the  Islands.  —  Ocean  Currents.  —  Crossing  the 
Equator.  —  Visit  from  Neptune.  —  The  South  American 
Coast.  —  Arrival  at  Pernambuco.  —  Pleasant  Surprise. 

—  Passage  to  Rio  de  Janeiro.  —  Sale  of  the  Steamer.  — 
Change  of  Flags 31 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Effect  of  the  Telegraph.  — Distant  Places  brought  near.  — 
Brazil  still  remote.  —  Increasing  Interest  in  the  Country. 

(5) 


6  CONTENTS. 

— Various  Descriptions  thereof. — Agassiz  and  Fletch- 
er. —  Origin  of  the  present  Work 40 

CHAPTER   V. 

Climate  of  Rio  de  Janeiro.  —  Intense  Heat  of  the  Weath- 
er. —  Trips  to  Santos.  —  The  Sea  Breeze.  —  Refreshing 
Change.  —  Beauty  of  the  Coast.  —  Configuration  of  the 
Country.  —  Rivers  of  the  Table  Land.  —  Island  of  St. 
Sebastian. — A  Terrestrial  Paradise.  —  Dream-land.  .  43 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Santos.  —  A  quiet  City.  —  Noise  banished.  —  Advan- 
tages unimproved.  —  Impediments  to  Commerce.  — 
Brazilian  Want  of  System.  —  Swarms  of  Office-holders. 
—  Bribery  and  Corruption.  —  Incessant  Rains.  —  A 
Dutchman  in  Despair 48 


CHAPTER    VII. 

A  Decayed  Town.  —  Brighter  Prospects.  —  Cultivation  of 
Cotton  in  Brazil.  — Advantages  therefor  over  the  United 
States.  —  Mutations  in  Planting.  —  Cotton,  Coffee,  Su- 
gar. —  Opportunities  to  make  a  Fortune.  —  Primitive 
Modes  of  Conveyance.  —  Mules  and  Muleteers.  —  Cru- 
elty to  Animals 55 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Railroads  in  Brazil.  —  Natural  Obstacles  Encountered.  — 
Dom  Pedro  Segundo  Railroad.  —  A  Stupendous  Work. 
—  Excursion  by  Rail  to  San  Paulo.  —  Precipitous 
Grades.  —  Frightful  Chasms.  —  Queer  Sensations.  — 
Aspects  of  Nature  in  the  North  and  South.  —  City  of 


CONTENTS,  7 

San  Paulo.  —  Institutions  of  Education.  —  Return  to 
the  Plains 61 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Trip  on  the  Dom  Pedro  Segundo  Railroad.  —  American 
and  English  Engineering  Compared.  —  Dismal  Swamp. 

—  Terminus   of  the   Road.  —  Future  Extension.  —  A 
Negro-loving  Philanthropist.  —  Laziness  and  Cunning 
of  the  Negroes.  —  Unprofitable  Servants.  —  The  Plan 

a  Failure 72 

CHAPTER   X. 

A  Brazilian  Plantation  under  Yankee  Management.  — 
Description  of  the  Fazenda.  —  Sunshine  and  Shade.  — 
Brazilian  Cookery.  —  Ride  over  the  Estate.  —  Working 
of  the  Negroes.  —  Freedom  and  Slavery.  —  Compara- 
tive Advantages  and  Disadvantages.  —  Moral  Reflec- 
tions  79 

CHAPTER    XI. 

Cultivation  of  Mandioca.  —  Its  Importance  to  Brazil.  — 
Process  of  Manufacturing  it.  —  An  old  Roman  Catholic 
Chapel.  —  Negro  Worship  therein.  —  Muscular  Piety. 

—  Barbarous  versus  Fashionable  Devotions.  —  Return 

to  the  City 88 

CHAPTER    XII. 

Wearisome  Monotony.  —  Visit  to  an  Imperial  Domain. 

—  History  of  the  Estate.  — Incidents  of  the  Journey.  — 
Hard  Supper  and  harder  Beds.  —  A  Morning  Ride.  — 
Golden  Fruit.  —The  Estate  of  Santa  Cruz.  —  The  Em- 


CONTENTS. 

peror's  Wines.  —  Bad  Economy.  —  Splendid  View  from 
the  Dome.  —  Inspection  of  the  Palace 93 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

The  Imperial  Philanthropist.  —  Giving  the  Black  Man  a 
fair  Chance.  —  School  of  Negro  Children.  —  Music  by 
a  Juvenile  Band.  —  Compensations  in  Life.  —  Failure 
of  the  Santa  Cruz  Experiment.  —  A  Sanitary  Scheme. 
—  The  Emperor's  Obstinacy.  —  Cultivation  of  Tea  in 
Brazil.  —  Fruit  Gardens 103 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Rival  Beauties  of  Nature.  —  Bays  of  Naples  and  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  —  Description  of  the  Latter.  —  Sublimity  of  a 
Thunder  Storm  in  the  Bay.  —  Ascent  of  Mountains  near 
Rio.  —  Adventure  of  two  British  Middies.  —  A  Shrewd 
Dentist.  —  Sharp  Practice.  —  Summer  Resorts.  —  Route 
to  Petropolis.  —  Pleasant  Illusion.  —  A  Sea  of  Fog.  .  109 


CHAPTER    XV. 

Petropolis  and  its  People.  —  The  Palace  and  Gardens.  — 
The  Coffee  Trade.  —  A  Profitable  Road.  —  Among  the 
Rivers.  —  Paying  a  Visit.  —  A  Pleasant  Drive.  — A  Bit 
of  Sentiment.  —  Change  of  Carriages.  —  Plague  of 
Flies.  —  Unwelcome  Companions.  — Jubilant  Negroes. 
—  A  Jolly  Englishman. — Mark  Tapley  outdone.  .  .  .118 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Immigration  to  Brazil  from  the  Southern  States.  —  Con- 
tradictory Accounts.  — Benefit  to  the  Country.  —  Evils 
of  Amalgamation.  —  Swiss,  German,  and  French  Set- 


CONTENTS.  9 

tiers. — A   White    Slave   Trade.  —  Islanders    returning 
Home. — A  Pleasant  Picture 129 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

History  and  Government  of  Brazil.  — Unquiet  Condition 
of  the  Spanish- American  States.  —  Government  of  the 
Country  by  the  Portuguese.  —  Emigration  of  the  Royal 
Family  to  Brazil.  —  Their  Return  to  Portugal.  —  Inde- 
pendence Declared.  —  Abdication  of  the  First  Emper- 
or. —  Accession  of  the  Present  Ruler.  —  Powers  of  the 
Emperor  and  the  Parliament 138 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 

The  Monroe  Doctrine.  —  Forms  of  Government.  —  For- 
eign Enterprise  in  Brazil.  —  Improvement  of  the  Cap- 
ital. —  Gratitude  to  a  Benefactor.  —  Iron-clads  and  Tor- 
pedoes. —  A  "  Confederate  "  Speculation.  —  A  "  Slow  " 
People.  — The  three  Professions.  — Adaptation  of  Re- 
ligions. —  Missionary  Effort  in  Brazil 143 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

Influence  of  the  Catholic  Religion.  —  Its  Power  in  Bra- 
zil. —  Character  of  its  Ceremonies.  —  Morals  of  Clergy 
and  People.  —  Illustrative  Anecdote.  —  Mixed  Blood.  — 
The  Census.  —  Slaves  Drifting  Southward.  — Extent  of 
Coffee  Cultivation.  —  Political  Parties. — Anti-Slavery 
and  Republicanism.  —  Succession  to  the  Throne.  — 
Character  of  the  Emperor 150 


CHAPTER   XX. 

The   War  with   Paraguay.  —  Disappointment    and  Dis- 
couragement. —  Religious  Toleration.  —  Festival  of  St. 


IO  CONTENTS. 

George.  —  A  Military  Saint.  —  Rank   and   Pay.  —  His 
Saintship  Tried  and  Punished.  —  The  Emperor  in  Farce. 

—  Brazilian  Superstitions 161 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

Religion  as  an  Amusement.  —  Habits  of  Brazilian  La- 
dies. —  Female  Education.  —  Women  in  Low  Estima- 
tion. —  A  Comical  Mistake.  —  The  Steward's  Blunder. 

—  No   Fish   on   Friday.  —  A  Good-natured  Bishop.  — 
Light  Penance.  —  Professors   and   Students.  —  Source 

of  Brazilian  Vice. — Theatricals  in  Rio  de  Janeiro.    .     .  170 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

Personal  Observations.  —  Writers  on  Brazil.  —  Ewbank, 
Fletcher,  Agassiz.  —  Inducements  to  settle  there.  — 
Southern  Coasting  Trade.  —  Unsuccessful  Attempt  to 
Re-open  it.  —  Sale  of  Steamer  Tejuca,  and  Return 
Home.  —  Southern  Colonists  in  Brazil.  —  Drain  of  Men 
and  Money  by  the  War.  —  Dangers  to  flow  therefrom. 

—  A  Word  of  Caution 179 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

Abolition  of  Slavery  in  Brazil.  —  Free  Labor  and  Free 
Trade  for  all  the  World. —The  Slave  Trade  Twenty 
Years  ago.  —  England's  Disinterestedness. — The  Ne- 
cessity of  obtaining  Laborers  from  Africa 187 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Plan  of  Emancipation.  —  Kindly  Relations  between  Mas- 
ters and  Slaves.  —  Intercession  and  Forgiveness.  — 
Future  Welfare  of  the  Freedmen  considered.  —  Du 
Chaillu's  estimate  of  the  Negro  Race.  —  Conclusion.  .  199 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Commencement  of  the  Voyage.  —  Sailors'  Superstitions.  — 
Tossing  in  the  Gulf  Stream.  — Effects  of  Sea-sickness.  — 
Arrival  at  St.  Thomas.  —  Condition  of  the  Negroes. — 
Results  of  Emancipation.  —  Female  Coal-  Carriers.  —  A 
Black  Squall.  —  The  Captain  in  Peril.  —  Rescue  by  an 
African  Goddess. 

ON  Friday,  the  2d  of  December,  1864,  the  steamer 
"Cotopaxi"  lifted  her  anchor  and  proceeded  to 
sea,  from  New  York.  All  the  world  knows  that 
Friday  is  an  "  unlucky  day."  I  should  be  ashamed 
to  admit  a  belief  in  the  superstition,  but  I  will  con- 
fess that  if  I  had  the  choice  of  a  sailing  day,  it  would 
not  be  Friday.  A  sufficient  reason  is,  its  depressing 
influence  upon  a  crew  when  any  accident  occurs. 
If  it  be  a  serious  one,  calling  upon  all  their  energies 
to  save  the  ship,  one  last  effort,  which  might  have 
been  successful,  may  not  be  made,  because  of  the 

(ii) 


12  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

remembrance  that  "  she  sailed  on  Friday."  The  in- 
fluence of  the  day  was  not  perceptible  upon  the 
comfort  and  pleasure  of  the  voyage  to  St.  Thomas. 
The  passengers  were  generally  tropic  birds,  who  had 
flown  to  the  north  for  a  summer  visit,  and  were 
driven  home  by  the  first  blasts  of  winter.  There 
were  some  pretty  Spanish  girls  among  them,  who 
were  returning  to  Porto  Rico.  With  them  the  young 
gentlemen  managed  to  while  away  the  passage  of  a 
week  so  agreeably,  that  they  wished  it  might  have 
been  a  month  or  a  year. 

On  the  second  day  after  leaving  New  York,  we 
entered  the  Gulf  Stream.  As  the  ship  was  light, 
and  her  coal  stowed  below,  she  was  excessively 
uneasy ;  for  the  wind  had  freshened  into  an  easterly 
gale,  and  a  boiling  cross-sea  was  the  consequence. 
Passengers  and  dishes,  negro  waiters  and  baggage, 
were  knocked  about  indiscriminately.  Lamps  were 
upset,  and  the  oil  mingled  with  the  water  as  prayers 
mingled  with  curses.  "  O  Lord,"  prayed  old  Mrs. 
M.,  "  have  mercy  upon  us !  Here  we  are,  in  the 
Gulf  Stream,  at  the  mercy  of  the  winds  and  waves, 
and  the  captain  has  gone  to  sleep !  O  Lord,  have 
mercy  on  us !  "  Libellous  old  woman,  to  tell  the 
good  Lord  such  a  story  about  me  !  Was  I  not,  at  the 
moment  you  gave  utterance  to  this,  —  was  I  not  then 
in  the  state-room  next  to  yours,  holding  the  head  of 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  13 

the  charming  Matilda,  and  telling  the  lovely  Rosita 
that  there  was  no  danger,  notwithstanding  all  your 
noise? 

There  is  no  better  master,  of  ceremonies  on  ship- 
board than  sea-sickness.  It  is  a  leveller  of  all  dis- 
tinctions. An  immediate  intimacy  springs  up  among 
a  crowd  of  passengers,  which  is  promoted  by  the 
absence  of  all  those  artificial  barriers  which  society 
on  shore  has  erected  to  keep  social  intercourse  with- 
in bounds.  Sea-sickness  demolishes  all  these  at  a 
blow.  Hoops,  head-dresses,  and  sometimes  false 
teeth,  disappear  for  the  time  being,  and  ladies 
change  from  dolls  to  women.  Age  and  youth  are 
much  alike  then  in  appearance  and  in  attractions. 
Thus  it  was  that  my  attention  to  the  lovely  Spanish 
girls  was  purely  Platonic  and  philanthropic.  I  would 
have  done  as  much  for  Mrs.  M.,  if  she  had  not  in- 
sulted me  in  her  devotions. 

Having  been  thus  introduced  to  each  other  in  the 
Gulf  Stream,  the  acquaintance  of  the  passengers 
ripened  into  friendship,  with  a.  dash  or  so  of  love, 
under  the  genial  influences  of  the  balmy  trade- 
winds,  and  of  that  lovers'  lantern,  which,  from  time 
immemorial,  has  hung  in  the  heavens  for  their  theme 
of  poetry.  A  few  musical  instruments  and  many 
musical  voices  contributed  to  the  pleasure  of  all,  as 
we  danced  merrily  along  over  the  silver-crested  waves. 


14  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL 

The  miseries  of  the  Gulf  Stream  were  forgotten,  and 
those  who  there  looked  back  upon  the  comforts  of 
home,  envious  of  the  friends  they  had  left  behind, 
were  now  happy  in  their  own  enjoyment,  con- 
gratulating themselves  upon  escaping  the  winter 
which  others  were  obliged  to  endure.  Thus  pleas- 
antly passed  the  last  five  days  of  our  passage.  On 
the  morning  of  the  9th  of  December,  the  high  lands 
of  St.  Thomas  and  Porto  Rico  hove  in  sight,  and 
after  threading  the  somewhat  intricate  channel  to  the 
eastward  of  the  latter  island,  we  entered  the  harbor 
of  "  Charlotte  Amelie,"  on  the  south  side  of  St. 
Thomas,  and  anchored  soon  after  noon. 

St.  Thomas  is  a  Danish  possession,  and  with  Santa 
Cruz  and  a  few  rocky  islets,  most  of  which  are  un- 
inhabited, constitutes  the  great  West  Indian  territory 
of  the  large  and  important  kingdom  of  Denmark. 
Santa  Cruz  may  still  be  called  a  Danish  island,  where 
the  Danish  language  is  spoken.  From  its  fertile 
soil  a  considerable  revenue  is  derived  for  the  Danish 
crown.  Those  of  our  passengers  who  were  bound 
thither  to  spend  the  winter  according  to  their  custom, 
described  it  as  almost  a  paradise,  with  a  luxuriant 
vegetation  and  a  salubrious  climate,  so  that  we  could 
not  but  regret  that  it  was  not  in  our  power  to  pay  it 
at  least  a  flying  visit.  The  communication  between 
the  islands  is,  however,  irregular  and  uncertain,  for 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  15 

lack  of  steamers.  It  is  confined  to  small  schooners, 
which  sometimes  make  the  passage  across  in  a  few 
hours,  and  sometimes*  in  a  few  days.  From  all  that 
we  could  learn,  the  island  is  a  very  desirable  residence 
in  the  winter  for  invalids,  and  the  line  of  steamers  to 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  touching  at  St.  Thomas,  being  es- 
tablished, Santa  Cruz  will  doubtless  become  a  fash- 
ionable resort. 

The  Island  of  St.  Thomas,  though  small  in  extent,  — 
about  fifteen  miles  long  and  five  miles  wide,  —  contains 
a  great  deal  of  arable  and  fertile  soil,  little  of  which 
is  now  cultivated.  The  inhabitants  depend  upon  the 
neighboring  Island  of  Porto  Rico  for  nearly  all  their 
cattle,  poultry,  fruit,  and  vegetables.  Before  slavery 
was  abolished,  not  only  did  St.  Thomas  supply  all 
these  for  their  own  consumption,  when  the  population 
far  exceeded  the  present,  but  it  produced  thousands 
of  hogsheads  of  sugar,  molasses,  and  rum  for  ex- 
portation. Riding  over  the  island,  we  constantly 
passed  the  ruins  of  plantation-houses  and  sheds,  of 
sugar-mills  and  distilleries.  The  negroes  are  said 
to  have  been  well  treated,  and  not  overworked,  and 
were,  therefore,  in  accordance  with  what  was  con- 
sidered their  place  upon  the  scale  of  creation,  in  the 
possession  of  such  happiness  as  their  limited  faculties 
would  permit  them  to  enjoy.  They  have  now  nearly 
disappeared  from  the  back  country.  A  few  miserable 


1 6  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

wretches  remain,  scattered  here  and  there,  who  live 
upon  wild  fruits  and  roots,  and  by  thieving.  When 
these  resources  fail,  they  descend  to  the  town  and 
obtain  employment,  which  they  can  always  do  with 
ease.  They  will  work  long  enough,  and  no  longer 
than  is  necessary  to  insure  them  against  starvation  for 
a  month  or  so  ahead,  and  then  they  return  to  their 
huts.  Labor  is  at  all  times  remunerative  in  the  town, 
and  it  is  mainly  on  this  account  that  the  plantations 
are  universally  abandoned,  as  the  planters  have  found 
it  useless  to  compete  with  the  slave  labor  of  Porto 
Rico,  or  the  free  labor  of  Santa  Cruz,  where  no 
such  facilities  for  obtaining  high  wages  are  enjoyed 
by  the  blacks. 

St.  Thomas,  from  its  situation  in  the  group  of 
Windward  Islands  (being  in  the  track  of  trade 
between  Europe  and  the  other  West  India  Islands, 
Mexico,  Central  America,  and  the  Spanish  Main), 
cannot  be  otherwise  than  of  great  commercial  im- 
portance. Its  harbor  is  the  best  in  all  the  Wind- 
ward Islands,  and  is  secure  from  the  danger  of  the 
terrible  hurricanes  which  prevail  chiefly  in  the  sum 
mer  and  autumn.  For  these  reasons,  whenever  a 
ship  is  heard  of  in  distress  anywhere  upon  the  broad 
Atlantic,  the  next  news  from  her  may  be  expected 
from  St.  Thomas.  When  the  sails  are  blown  to 
shreds,  the  pump-bolts  worn  with  friction,  and  the 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  1 7 

crew  "  used  up,"  the  captain  is  at  length  discouraged 
and  down-hearted  with  useless  beating  and  banging  to 
the  westward.  Then,  in  a  tone  of  despair,  he  gives  the 
order,  "  Up  helm  and  square  away  for  St.  Thomas." 
Down  glides  the  tired  ship  through  the  fairy  regions 
of  the  gentle  trades,  where  the  zephyrs  of  eternal 
summer  blow.  The  captain,  passengers,  and  crew 
creep  out  into  sunshine,  and  as  the  ship  rolls  along 
under  her  tattered  rags,  they  spread  themselves  lazily 
upon  the  decks,  and  dream  dolce  far  niente-\j  of 
pineapples,  oranges,  bananas,  and  all  the  number- 
less luxuries  of  the  tropics.  The  underwriters  at 
home,  when  they  hear  of  it,  sleep  with  nightmares  on 
their  breasts,  and  with  visions  of  poverty  on  their 
brains. 

The  discharging  and  reloading  of  these  vessels 
in  distress  furnish  employment  for  hundreds  of 
negroes.  Many  of  the  more  intelligent  are  en- 
gaged upon  the  repairs.  All  are  well  paid,  as  the 
enormous  profits  gained  by  the  contractors'  agents 
and  mechanics  enable  them  to  share  a  part  of  their 
gains  with  their  laborers.  For  the  most  common 
work  the  pay  is  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  day 
in  silver. 

The  work  upon  coal  at  St.  Thomas  is  done  ex- 
clusively by  women ;  and  when  the  number  of 
steamers  calling  at  this  port,  and  of  ships  which 

2 


1 8  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

bring  their  supplies,  is  considered,  the  labor  which 
the  women  perform  is  almost  incredible.  When 
we  were  ready  for  our  coal,  and  the  stages  rigged, 
these  women  threw  into  the  hold  on  the  first  day 
over  three  hundred  tons.  Each  of  them  brought 
upon  her  head  a  basket  of  the  average  weight  of 
eighty  pounds.  They  came  in  single  file,  in  one 
continual  stream,  like  an  army  of  black  ants. 
As  they  dumped  the  contents  of  their  baskets,  they 
passed  around  the  hatchways,  and  returned  to  the 
dock  by  the  other  plank  of  the  stage,  avoiding  those 
who  were  coming  on  board.  Most  of  them  were 
horrid  hags.  The  absence  of  good-looking  women 
among  them  is  readily  accounted  for  by  the  loose 
morality  of  the  people,  which  enables  such  to  support 
their  existence  in  better  accordance  with  their  own 
tastes.  In  our  country  wre  have  heard  much  of  the 
licentiousness  emanating  from  slavery.  It  remains  to 
be  seen  if  the  morals  of  our  blacks  will  be  improved 
by  its  abolition.  If  there  was  greater  depravity  in  St. 
Thomas  in  the  days  of  bondage  than  now,  a  degree 
of  comparison  beyond  the  superlative  must  be  used 
to  express  it.  With  the  exception  of  these  women, 
who  were  too  ugly  for  such  employment  as  others 
found  most  congenial,  and  were  accordingly  used  as 
beasts  of  burden,  it  is  not  far  from  the  truth  to  say 
that  every  black  woman  on  the  island  is  a  prostitute. 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  19 

There  are  exceptions  to  all  rules ;  and  when  I  speak 
of  the  seventy-five  women  employed  on  the  "  Coto- 
paxi,"  I  do  not  include  as  among  the  uglies  the  tawny, 
shining,  bright-eyed,  straight-limbed  combination  of 
the  African  Venus  and  the  Grecian  Minerva,  Joanna. 
What  though  she  carried  a  basket  of  coal  upon  her 
head  —  it  was  a  crown  of  black  diamonds  there! 
though  her  classical  only  garment  was  but  a  strip 
of  gunny  cloth  encircling  her  loins  —  it  left  un- 
adorned nature  free  to  display  the  charms  of  her 
rounded  contour.  Joanna,  my  African  princess, 
decked  with  the  shining  dust  from  the  gems  of 
Newcastle  and  of  Cardiff!  was  I  in  love  with  thee? 
No ;  but  I  am  grateful ;  and  gratitude  to  woman  is 
best  shown  by  praising  her  personal  charms. 

Some  of  the  women  brought  more  dirt  than  coal  in 
their  baskets.  For  a  time  I  remonstrated  with  the 
contractor,  who  still  persisted  in  sending  on  board 
this  refuse  of  the  coal-yard.  Without  reflecting  upon 
the  excitable  nature  of  women  in  general,  black  wo- 
men in  particular,  and  of  seventy-five  black  women 
combined,  I  went  upon  the  loading  stage  and  at- 
tempted to  arrest  the  further  entrance  of  the  Ama- 
zons. I  stood  merely  upon  the  defensive.  But  they 
were  not  to  be  stopped  in  this  way.  One  lady 
pushed  a  lady  against  me  ;  another  pushed  her ;  till, 
losing  the  equipoise  of  the  baskets,  several  of  them 


2O  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

went  over  into  the  water  together.  With  the  splash  of 
the  coal  there  went  up  simultaneously  a  tremendous 
black  squall  —  seventy-five  women  became  seventy- 
five  Hecates ;  and  these  were  seemingly  multiplied 
into  seven  hundred  and  fifty  hell-cats !  The  white 
overseer  came  running  on  board,  and  besought  me 
to  go  below,  for  the  attacking  column  was  pressing 
on  to  the  decks,  each  virago  with  a  lump  of  coal  in 
her  hand  ;  so  that  my  days  seemed  to  be  numbered. 
In  such  a  crisis,  reason  quickly  balances  different 
courses  of  action.  Run  or  stay?  Run!  If  there 
were  seventy-five  men  in  front  of  one,  there  were 
illustrious  precedents  in  the  Union  and  rebel  ranks 
for  "  retreating  in  good  order."  Run  !  Retreat  be- 
fore one  woman  in  a  matrimonial  battle?  Yes, 
occasionally  —  generally  —  I  may  say,  always.  But 
in  this  case,  where  I  had  engaged  myself  for  life  to 
no  such  obedience  —  no !  never !  So  I  stood  my 
ground,  —  my  deck,  —  fronting  the  glaring  eyes  of 
the  women,  and  the  uplifted  missiles  of  coal.  The 
storm  was  about  to  burst,  when  Joanna  threw  her- 
self before  me,  and  stretching  forth  her  arms,  as  when 
the  form  of  Webster  or  of  Clay  arose  before  the  chat- 
tering magpies  of  the  Senate,  she  produced  silence 
ere  she  spoke  a  syllable.  Then  she  began  with  an 
eloquence  of  words  and  of  gesticulation  which,  as 
it  ran  on  in  a  stream  like  that  of  a  leaping  cascade, 


COALIXG    AT    ST.    THOMAS. 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  21 

caused  one  lump  of  coal  after  another  to  drop.  Rage 
changed  to  hysterics ;  hysterics,  like  the  after-squalls 
of  a  gale,  subsided  with  gentle  showers  to  a  calm, 
and  all  was  peace.  The  women  went  again  to  their 
work.  The  contractor  sent  us  no  more  dirt,  and  a 
substantial  expression  of  gratitude  to  my  deliveress 
was  not  wanting  on  my  part. 

We  were  told  that,  a  few  weeks  before,  on  account 
of  some  insult,  real  or  fancied,  offered  to  one  of  the 
women  by  an  officer  of  a  Spanish  gunboat,  which 
was  coaling  at  this  wharf,  four  or  five  hundred  of 
these  female  savages,  who  were  at  work  on  different 
vessels,  dropped  their  baskets,  rushed  on  board  the 
man-of-war,  and  obliged  the  whole  crew  to  take  to 
their  boats,  some  of  them  being  severely  wounded. 


22 


CHAPTER  II. 

Climate  of  St.  Thomas.  —  Telloiu  Fever.  —  Modes  of  Travel- 
ling. —  A  Ride  to  the  Hills.  —  A  Little  Denmark.  —  Visit 
to  Santa  Anna.  —  His  Appearance  and  Conversation.  — 
His  Prophecies. 

\  LTHOUGH  it  was  now  the  month  of  December, 
JL  X  the  weather  was  intensely  hot.  We  were  left 
to  imagine  what  it  might  be  in  summer.  The  town  is 
situated  at  the  head  of  a  small  bay,  the  entrance  to 
which  is  from  the  south,  so  that  the  sun,  striking 
tipon  the  glassy  water  in  front,  and  reflecting  from  the 
high  hills  in  the  rear,  which  entirely  shut  off  north  and 
east  winds,  makes  the  little  settlement  the  focus  of  his 
direct  and  inverted  rays.  Yellow  fever  is  an  annual 
visitant,  and  is  merciless  in  its  attacks  upon  strangers. 
Even  now  it  had  not  entirely  disappeared,  for  it  pre- 
vailed among  the  shipping,  some  of  the  vessels  having 
lost  their  entire  crews. 

There  are  about  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants  upon 
the  island,  most  of  whom  are  concentrated  in  the 
town.  A  long,  narrow  street  runs  by  the  water 
side,  with  warehouses  and  wharves  on  one  hand, 


TEN   MONTHS   IN   BRAZIL.  23 

and  retail  shops  upon  the  other.  All  the  business 
is  transacted  here.  Three  little  hills  are  in  the  back- 
ground, towards  which  run  steep  alleys,  some  of  them 
cut  into  steps,  and  all  of  them  impassable  by  carriages. 
Of  these,  there  are  not  more  than  a  half  dozen  on  the 
island.  What  little  travelling  is  done,  is  upon  horses 
or  mules.  Behind  these  three  hills,  one  of  which  is 
surmounted  by  the  governor's  palace,  and  the  others 
clustered  upon  by  the  wealthier  inhabitants,  rise  the 
high  peaks,  upon  which  graze  the  only  cattle  that  are 
kept  on  the  island,  and  where  a  few  gentlemen,  not 
too  lazy  to  climb,  have  perched  themselves  and  their 
families,  with  a  due  regard  to  health. 

Mr.  Sonderburg,  who  lived  upon  the  highest  point  of 
St.  Thomas,  asked  us  to  breakfast  with  him  one  morn- 
ing. The  traveller  goes  to  Europe  and  finds  his  en- 
joyment in  the  Louvre,  and  in  the  palaces  and  galleries 
of  Florence  and  of  Rome.  A  thousand  times  more  do 
I  prefer  such  a  morning's  ride  after  a  week's  voyage. 
The  freshness  of  the  open  air,  instead  of  the  confined 
atmosphere  of  a  palace  ;  the  song  of  the  birds,  instead 
of  the  rustling  of  catalogues  and  of  dresses  ;  the  clatter 
of  hoofs,  instead  of  the  noiseless  carpet  tread ;  and, 
above  all,  the  great  panorama  of  nature — the  sun  ris- 
ing from  his  water-bed,  shaking  off  the  drops  in  slant- 
ing showers,  then  breaking  out  and  multiplying  himself 
a  million  times  in  rain  and  dew-drops,  throwing  ever- 


24  TEN  MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

varying  shadows  and  streams  of  light  from  mountains 
into  valleys,  and  over  the  waves  —  how  immeasurably 
superior  is  such  enjoyment  to  the  admiration  of  the 
best  imitation  of  it  with  paints  and  brusli  upon  a  few 
feet  of  canvas ! 

It  was  something,  too,  upon  arrival  at  the  cottage 
on  the  hill,  to  forget  the  woolly  heads,  and  the  taw- 
ny, yellow,  molasses-tinted  faces  of  the  hot  plains 
below,  and  in  the  fresh  air  of  the  mountains  to  see 
the  brown  hair  of  the  pretty  wife  of  our  host  blow- 
ing away  from  her  blue  eyes,  like  sun-lit  clouds 
chased  over  spots  of  clear  sky.  Here  they  lived  all 
the  year,  and  found  their  enjoyment  in  health  and 
good  air,  and  in  the  cultivation  of  the  ground,  upon 
which,  in  his  leisure  from  business,  Mr.  Sonderburg 
employed  himself,  and  had  succeeded  in  producing 
peaches,  strawberries,  cherries,  and  all  the  vegeta- 
bles of  temperate  climes.  "Not  that  he  cared  for 
them,"  he  said,  "  but  they  made  him  think  he  'was 
171  Denmark." 

Upon  one  of  the  three  little  hills  of  which  I  have 
spoken,  there  lived  a  man  illustrious  or  notorious,  as 
his  friends  or  his  enemies  may  estimate  his  character. 
Robinson,  in  his  "  History  of  the  Chieftains  of  Mex- 
ico," published  in  1848,  devotes  a  large  space  to  him, 
and  sums  up  all  with,  "  Such  is  Santa  Anna,  whether 
good  or  bad  —  what  his  country  has  made  him.  A 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  25 

chapter  of  his  history  has  yet  to  be  written,  which  will, 
perhaps,  display  him  in  yet  more  brilliant  colors ;  or, 
it  may  be,  record  another  reverse,  from  which  he  will 
be  unable  to  recover  himself."  His  unfortunate  coun- 
try, where  anarchy  has  reigned  more  than  rulers  or 
people,  has  not  been  favorable  to  the  growth  of  politi- 
cal virtue,  if  there  is  such  a  thing  anywhere.  Of  the 
thirteen  generals  whose  lives  are  sketched  in  the  little 
book  referred  to,  no  one,  unless  it  be  Iturbide,  seems 
to  have  been  actuated  by  real  principles  of  honor  or 
honesty.  Even  he,  like  Cassar,  was  ambitious,  and, 
like  him,  was  murdered  by  the  friends  who  once 
cringed  at  his  throne. 

Another  chapter,  comprising  a  period  of  seventeen 
years,  can  be  written  in  the  history  of  Santa  Anna, 
and  it  would  tell  of  him  in  brilliant  colors  again  and 
again ;  many  times  would  it  tell  of  reverses  from 
which  he  has  recovered,  and  it  may  close  with  one 
from  which  it  would  seem  that  he  will  be  unable  to 
recover  himself.  But  he  may  yet  emerge  from  his  re- 
tirement ;  it  is  not  too  late  for  one  more  chapter  to  be 
written,  that  may  display  him  in  his  most  brilliant 
colors  at  his  death. 

When  the  French  invaded  Mexico,  Santa  Anna  was 
sent  into  exile ;  and  he  had  chosen  St.  Thomas  for  his 
place  of  retirement  —  for  what  possible  reason  no  one 
can  imagine.  It  was  not  because  of  its  climate,  which 


26  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

is  bad  ;  nor  for  its  luxuries  and  gayeties,  of  which  there 
are  none ;  nor  could  it  be  from  motives  of  economy, 
for  he  is  rich,  and  is  not  niggardly.  It  was  not  because 
he  was  among  friends,  for  he  was  sometimes  hissed 
when  he  appeared  in  the  streets.  Seldom,  however, 
does  he  leave  his  own  grounds.  It  was  said  by  the 
virtuous  gentlemen  in  town,  whose  means  are  not  ade- 
quate to  wholesale  licentiousness,  that  he  had  a  harem  ; 
and  it  struck  me  that  their  hatred  of  him  wras  partly 
made  up  of  envy.  I  had  a  curiosity  to  see  the  man, 
and  accordingly  sent  a  servant  with  a  note,  saying  that 
the  captain  of  the  American  steamer  just  arrived  would 
esteem  it  an  honor  to  be  received  by  His  Excellency, 
and  asking  him  at  what  hour  he  would  be  disengaged. 
To  this  I  received  a  reply,  couched  in  true  Spanish 
courtesy  of  language.  As  translated,  — 

"  December  12,  1864. 

"  DEAR  SIR  :  In  reply  to  your  polite  note  of  to-day, 
I  have  the  pleasure  to  say  that,  recognizing  your  deli- 
cate attention,  I  shall  have  the  greater  satisfaction  in 
seeing  you  in  this  (your)  house,  at  five  o'clock  this 
afternoon. 

"Without  more  particulars,  I  subscribe  myself,  at- 
tentively, 

"  Yours,  faithfully,  Q.  B.  S.  M., 

"  A.  L.  DE  SANTA  ANNA." 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  2f 

1  accordingly  presented  myself,  accompanied  by  one 
of  our  passengers,  at  the  hour  appointed,  and  was 
received  by  his  secretary,  in  a  well-furnished  parlor 
of  his  modest,  but  large  and  commodious  one-story 
house.  In  a  few  moments  the  general  came  in, 
walking  so  easily  without  the  aid  of  a  cane,  that  it 
was  impossible  to  distinguish  his  natural  from  his  ar- 
tificial leg.  His  carriage  was  military  and  erect,  and 
he  had  the  appearance  of  excellent  health  and  condi- 
tion. He  is  rather  over  than  under  six  feet  in  height, 
and  does  not  stoop  at  all.  He  wore  white  pantaloons 
and  a  dress  coat  with  brass  buttons.  Notwithstanding 
the  extreme  heat,  he  kept  this  buttoned  nearly  to 
the  throat.  He  was  neatly  shaven,  and  evidently  just 
from  his  toilet,  where  some  rejuvenating  compound 
had  blackened  his  hair.  His  complexion  is  rather 
dark,  his  eye  piercing,  but  kindly,  and  his  mouth  firm- 
ly compressed,  but  not  stern.  When  in  conversation, 
his  features  were  animated,  and  even  handsome. 
There  was  nothing  in  his  physiognomy  to  indicate  a 
tyrant,  brute,  or  sensualist.  He  extended  his  hand 
with  great  cordiality,  and,  by  his  affable  manner, 
caused  us  to  feel  so  much  at  home  that  there  was  no 
barrier  to  conversation.  This  took  an  extensive  range, 
commencing  with  affairs  at  home,  which  were  intro- 
duced by  giving  him  some  papers  with  the  latest 
news  of  the  war.  I  must  accuse  him  of  a  little  disin- 


28  TEN    MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

genuousness,  for  he  declined  to  converse  in  English, 
from  alleged  inability  to  speak  the  language  ;  and  thus 
forced  me  into  Spanish,  which  I  spoke  very  imper- 
fectly indeed ;  but  he  was  kind  enough  to  utter  his 
words  slowly  and  distinctly,  so  that  we  might  under- 
stand all  that  he  said.  Perhaps  it  was  as  well,  for  it 
placed  the  burden  of  the  talk  upon  him,  where  we 
wished  it  to  be. 

"  I  am  a  poor  exile,"  he  said  ;  "  but  from  my  little 
watch-tower  of  St.  Thomas  I  look  all  around."  Then, 
sweeping  the  horizon  with  his  arm,  and  pointing  to 
the  north-west,  he  continued:  "I  see  the  people  of 
your  great  republic.  They  were  once  my  enemies. 
I  wish  now  that,  instead  of  fighting  among  them- 
selves, they  and  we  were  united  to  drive  European 
despotism  away  from  America."  And  his  clenched 
fist  came  down  upon  the  table,  so  that  the  whole  room 
rattled.  His  feelings  were  clearly  with  the  North,  and 
he  believed  that  the  North  would  be  finally  victorious, 
but  that  "  the  Union  would  not  be  restored.  It  would 
be  subjugation  under  military  despotism.  Over  there 
in  Europe,"  he  continued,  as  he  pointed  to  the  north- 
east, u  I  see  them  disputing,  and  fighting  a  little.  That 
does  not  concern  us.  They  fight  about  their  eternal 
balance  of  power,  which  never  stays  balanced.  Let 
the  big  dogs  and  little  dogs  fight.  Down  there  in 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  29 

South  America,  the  Spaniards  and  Peruvians  are  quar- 
relling. It  will  not  amount  to  much.  It  will  soon  be 
settled."  And  then  he  reverted  to  Mexico,  discours- 
ing with  mingled  sadness  and  humorous  irony  upon 
the  condition  of  affairs  there.  He  looked  upon  the 
Austro-Fr.ench  empire  as  a  very  temporary  affair. 
He  described  his  ejection  most  amusingly.  "  Those 
French  are  a  very  polite  people,"  said  he ;  "  very 
polite  indeed.  We  talk,  you  know,  of  everything 
4  a  su  disposition '  to  our  friends,  but  We  don't  mean 
that  literally.  They  do.  That  Bazaine  told  me  that 
a  sea  voyage  would  conduce  to  my  health,  and  he 
furnished  me  with  a  steamer.  He  told  me  to  go  where 
I  pleased,  but  not  to  come  back  to  Mexico.  That  was 
the  only  condition  the  pleasant  fellow  made.  Look 
here,"  he  added,  his  voice,  face,  manner,  everything 
changing  him  to  another  man,  "perhaps  I  may  yet 
have  the  opportunity  of  reciprocating  such  atten- 
tions I " 

Perhaps  he  will  reciprocate.  Revolutions  are  no 
new  things  in  Mexico.  "Another  chapter  has  yet 
to  be  written."  Santa  Anna  is  not  yet  too  old  for  the 
battle  of  life.  His  sixty-five  years  sit  lightly  upon  him, 
and  with  his  wooden  leg  he  may  yet  dance  over  the 
graves  of  his  enemies.  I  have  nothing  to  say  of  the 
character  of  Santa  Anna.  There  are  better  and  worse 


30  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

men  than  he,  undoubtedly ;  but  he  is  a  pleasant  gen- 
tleman, and  I  thank  him  for  his  kind  reception,  and 
for  two  hours  of  his  agreeable  conversation,  although 
I  felt  a  little  vexed  when  I  heard  afterwards  that  he 
understood  English  perfectly  well. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Trade  at  St.  Thomas.  —  Departure  on  the  Voyage. — Passing 
the  Islands.  —  Ocean  Currents.  —  Crossing  the  Equator.  — 
Visit  from  Neptune.  —  The  South  American  Coast.  —  Ar- 
rival at  Pernambuco.  —  Pleasant  Surprise.  —  Passage  to 
Rio  de  Janeiro.  —  Sale  of  the  Steamer.  — Change  of  Flags. 

WHEN  the  steamers  from  Europe,  Laguayra, 
and  Havana  meet  here,  as  they  sometimes  do, 
St.  Thomas  is  quite  gay.  The  news  which  they  bring 
seems  to  be  of  immense  importance  to  everybody. 
The  little  six-by-four  newspaper  comes  out  extra,  and 
the  hotels,  two  of  which  are  very  good  and  well  kept, 
reap  of  the  harvest.  By  the  establishment  of  merely 
nominal  duties  and  slight  entrepot  charges,  Denmark 
has  made  this  island  the  commercial  exchange  of  the 
West  Indies.  Upon  the  true  principle  of  small  profits 
and  large  business  she  has  acted,  and  thus  made  St. 
Thomas  a  much  more  profitable  colony  than  when  it 
was  at  the  height  of  its  agricultural  prosperity.  At 
this  time,  shortly  preceding  the  Christmas  holidays, 
there  were  swarms  of  traders,  mostly  Jews,  who  had 
come  from  all  the  leeward  Islands,  Venezuela,  and 


32  TEN    MONTH f.    IN    BRAZIL. 

Mexico,  to  make  their  purchases.  .There  is  no  bet- 
ter proof  that  all  European  merchandise  can  be 
afforded  cheaper  here  than  anywhere  else  ;  and  the 
importance  of  steam  communication  with  the  United 
States  is  clearly  demonstrated.  English,  Spanish,  and 
an  incomprehensible  negro  patois  are  the  languages 
spoken.  The  governor,  the  three  officers  and  seventy 
soldiers  (who  compose  the  army),  and  the  collector  of 
customs,  speak  Danish. 

Having  received  on  board  all  the  coal  required,  we 
left  St.  Thomas  on  the  i6th  of  December,  to  continue 
our  voyage.  The  trade- wind  from  the  eastward  was 
very  fresh,  and  the  ship,  being  deeply  loaded,  made 
but  slow  progress  at  first.  She  was  very  wet  and 
uncomfortable.  But  the  breeze  soon  moderated,  and 
we  steamed  along  through  the  Caribbean  Sea,  passing 
close  to  the  southern  shore  of  Martinique,  leaving 
Santa  Lucia  on  our  starboard  hand.  Daylight  af- 
forded us  a  near  and  enchanting  view  of  the  well- 
cultivated  valleys  and  extensive  plantations  of  the  first 
named  island,  which  charmed  still  more  by  contrast 
with  the  jagged  cliffs  and  the  barren  volcanic  peaks 
of  the  latter.  At  night  we  passed  Barbadoes,  so 
near  to  the  town  of  Bridgetown,  that  we  could  see 
the  lights  in  the  houses,  and  hear  the  music  which 
the  land  breeze  wafted  off  for  our  serenade.  And 
then,  for  ten  days,  no  more  land. 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  33 

We  traversed  the  ocean  in  its  most  unfrequented 
expanse,  for  no  sailing  vessel  can  make  headway 
against  the  powerful  current  which  sweeps  around 
Cape  St.  Roque,  and  rushes  on  till  it  reaches  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  ocean  is  no  unmoved  body  of 
water,  whose  only  pastime  it  is  to  make  its  wild  leaps 
in  the  storm,  and  rest  from  its  sport,  basking  in  the 
rays  of  the  sun.  It  is  full  of  mighty  rivers  in  its 
length  and  breadth,  some  moving  so  slowly  that  the 
line  of  their  watery  banks  is  imperceptible.  Oth- 
ers, like  this  broad  equatorial  stream,  more  rapid  as 
its  channel  narrows  at  the  eastern  point  of  South 
America,  and  at  different  times  the  navigator's  hope 
and  fear,  are  distinctly  marked.  So  is  the  river 
current,  which,  doubling  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
gives  the  Indian  Ocean  an  outlet  into  the  South 
Atlantic.  More  famous  than  all  is  the  Gulf  Stream, 
which  carries  the  warm  water  of  the  tropics  so 
rapidly  along,  that  it  cannot  cool  till  the  polar  river 
plunges  into  it,  bearing  along  its  islands  of  ice.  Then, 
from  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  the  united  stream 
is  deflected  to  the  south,  until  reaching  the  equator,  it 
is  joined  by  the  now  sluggish  current  from  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  Uniting  with  this,  and  impelled  by 
the  force  of  the  unfailing  trade-winds,  the  great  river, 
in  which  we  find  ourselves,  rolls  on  again  towards  the 
3 


34  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

American  continent,  and  thus  the  circuit  of  the  ocean 
streams  is  complete. 

Approaching  the  South  American  shore,  where 
the  Amazon  and  the  Orinoco  pour  their  floods  into 
the  sea,  we  observed  the  discolored  water  before 
seeing  the  land.  We  passed  through  a  fleet  of  logs 
and  uprooted  trees,  and  perceptibly  experienced  the 
force  of  the  current  which  pushes  the  ocean  from  the 
coast.  The  salometer  also  indicated  a  greater  fresh- 
ness of  the  water,  though  this  was  not  apparent  to 
the  taste. 

On  the  evening  of  the  2yth  December  we  crossed 
the  equator.  Hints  had  been  given,  for  some  days 
before,  that  Neptune  would  pay  the  ship  a  visit, 
and  that  the  customary  ceremonies  of  the  occasion 
might  be  expected.  As  these  have  been  so  often 
described,  a  repetition  of  particulars  would  be  of  little 
interest. 

The  divinity  was  personated  by  one  of  the  stoutest 
seamen,  who  had  got  himself  up  admirably  for  the 
character,  writh  a  wig  of  Manila  hemp,  and  a  shaggy 
garment,  which  completely  disguised  him.  Hailing 
the  ship  from  under  the  bowsprit,  he  was  invited  to 
come  on  board.  He  accordingly  marched  aft  writh  a 
pair  of  grains,  which  well  represented  a  trident,  in  his 
hands,  and  accepted  a  chair  and  a  glass  of  wine  upon 
the  quarter-deck.  Having  asked  if  I  had  any  of  his 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  35 

children  on  board,  he  received  liberty  to  search  for 
them.  There  was  one  cockney  young  gentleman  from 
New  York,  who  had  been  loud  in  his  expressions 
of  contempt  for  Neptune,  or  for  what  he  might  do. 
No  barking  cur,  with  a  whip  held  over  him,  ever 
subsided  quicker  than  did  this  doughty  hero.  He 
said  no  more  about  whipping  Neptune,  but  meekly 
walked  before  the  awful  apparition  to  his  barber's 
shop  upon  the  forecastle.  The  sight  of  the  tub  of 
grease  and  the  iron  hoop  made  him  tremble  at  the 
idea  of  such  lathering  and  shaving,  and  he  begged  to 
be  allowed  to  capitulate.  This  favor  was  accorded 
him,  and  he  then  took  a  malicious  pleasure  in  witness- 
ing the  sufferings  of  those  victims  from  among  the 
crew  who  could  not,  like  him,  afford  the  means  of 
escape. 

This  practice  is  very  generally  discontinued.  It  is 
true  that  it  has  sometimes  been  carried  to  an  extreme 
of  roughness ;  but,  as  ordinarily  conducted,  it  has 
been  a  great  source  of  amusement.  The  true  reason 
for  its  rare  occurrence  is,  that  "  the  monarch  of  the 
peopled  deck,"  having  no  more  taste  for  youthful 
sport,  considers  every  attempt  at  fun  to  be  an  infringe- 
ment of  discipline,  and  because  a  sailor  is  considered 
by  him  a  brute,  whose  business  it  is  to  labor,  and 
nothing  else.  Many  captains  never  can  be  made  to 
realize  that  "  all  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a  dull 


36  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

boy."  Such  treatment  as  they  too  often  receive, 
causes  sailors  to  seek  for  their  only  amusement  on 
shore,  where,  when  they  "  dance,"  they  dearly  "  pay 
the  fiddler." 

In  order  to  escape  the  course  of  the  current,  after 
crossing  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon,  we  ran  close  in  to 
the  north  shore  of  Brazil,  and  made  the  land  a  little 
to  the  eastward  of  Maranham.  Thence  coasting 
along  shore,  we  had  before  our  eyes  a  constant  pan- 
orama of  green  lowlands,  with  a  background  of  blue 
mountains.  We  could  see  the  cocoanut  groves  and 
plantain  trees  which  shaded  the  lazy  little  fishing 
villages,  and  occasionally  the  bare  white  walls  of 
some  oven-built  town,  such  as  those  wherein  the  old 
Portuguese  delighted  to  roast  themselves.  They  built 
them  because  they  had  such  at  home ;  as  the  Dutch 
built  Batavia  in  a  swamp,  and  dug  canals  through  it, 
because  it  therefore  looked  like  home ;  as  English- 
men stuff  themselves  with  roast  beef  and  porter  under 
the  tropics,  because  they  do  so  at  home. 

As  we  rounded  Cape  St.  Roque,  giving  it  a  wide 
berth  on  account  of  the  reef,  we  saw  numberless  cat- 
amarans. These  little  rafts  are  constructed  of  logs 
lashed  together,  upon  which  the  adventurous  natives 
make  long  voyages  along  the  coast,  and  often  go  far 
out  of  sight  of  land  in  search  of  fish.  As  the  water 
is  always  awash  over  the  logs,  the  crew  of  three  or 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  37 

four  men  are  perched  up  on  what  resemble  counting- 
house  stools,  where  at  least  the  upper  part  of  their 
bodies  can  be  dry.  Baskets  for  their  fish  and  pro- 
visions are  similarly  slung  out  of  harm's  way.  They 
carry  a  large  lateen  sail,  and  in  the  early  morning, 
as  they  are  seen  coming  out  of  the  harbors,  they 
appear  like  a  flock  of  white  gulls  upon  the  water. 
Like  them,  too,  they  are  shy,  and  will  not  allow  any 
one  to  approach  them.  It  is  said  that  their  dread  of 
strange  ships  arises  from  the  treatment  they  have 
sometimes  received  from  the  American  whalers,  who 
frequent  this  coast.  These  vessels,  being  in  want  of 
men,  have  been  known  to  run  down  the  little  craft 
purposely,  and  then,  under  pretence  of  saving  the 
crews,  have  kidnapped  them  and  impressed  them  into 
their  service. 

On  the  last  day  of  December,  and  of  the  year  1864, 
at  ten  o'clock  A.  M.,  we  anchored  off  the  city  of  Per- 
nambuco.  Our  object  was  to  obtain  a  supply  of  coal 
for  ship's  use,  if  it  could  be  advantageously  bought. 
The  town  and  its  surroundings  make  a  very  pretty 
appearance  from  the  sea.  As  for  what  is  within,  we 
had  little  opportunity  for  observation.  It  was  an 
intensely  hot  day,  and  when  we  landed  it  seemed 
like  entering  a  furnace.  It  is  a  pleasant  thing  to 
meet  a  familiar  face  in  a  strange  land  ;  and  thus,  when 
an  old  acquaintance,  now  established  in  business  here, 


38  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

welcomed  us  upon  the  wharf,  the  unexpectedness  of 
the  meeting  enhanced  our  gratification.  Finding  that 
the  ship  drew  too  much  water  to  come  into  the  inner 
harbor,  and  that  a  long  time  would  be  occupied  in 
coaling  outside,  we  were  obliged  to  forego  our  inten- 
tion. So,  after  a  visit  of  a  few  hours  to  Pernambuco, 
we  proceeded  on  the  same  evening  upon  our  voyage. 
While  the  purser  was  busy  in  the  market,  looking 
after  fruit  and  vegetables,  of  which  he  procured  an 
abundant  supply,  we  employed  the  time  in  a  drive  to 
.the  country  house  of  our  friend.  Those  who  live  on 
the  shore,  and  were  never  at  sea,  cannot  realize  the 
delight  of  that  hour's  drive,  of  the  walk  in  the  shady 
garden,  and  of  the  company  of  trees,  fruits,  and 
flowers.  Look  in  your  books.  You  will  find  all 
about  Pernambuco  —  the  number  of  its  inhabitants,  its 
trade,  productions,  climate.  I  know  nothing  of  these 
excepting  of  the  latter,  which  would  have  troubled 
Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego.  Notwithstand- 
ing that,  we  had  a  delightful  time.  Remembrances 
of  it,  with  the  delicious  fruits,  lasted  us  to  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  Nor  in  the  four  days'  passage,  though  the 
bouquets  from  the  lovely  little  garden  began  to  fade, 
did  we  forget,  or  shall  we  forget,  the  charming  frag- 
ment of  a  sejour  at  Pernambuco. 

From  Pernambuco  to  Rio  de  Janeiro,  the  distance 
is  about  eleven  hundred  and  fifty  miles.     The  weather 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  39 

was  fine,  and  nearly  calm.  Over  the  smooth  sea  we 
steamed  rapidly  along,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  5th 
of  January  passed  under  the  high  headland  of 
Cape  Frio,  as  the  day  broke,  throwing  its  sunlight 
upon  the  naked  peak  of  the  Sugar  Loaf,  the  square 
tower  of  the  Gavia,  the  crested  Corcovado,  the  pin- 
nacle of  Tijuca,  and  all  the  familiar  mountain  faces 
which  stand  there  the  sentinels  of  ages,  looking  down 
upon  the  loveliest  expanse  of  water  in  the  world  — 
the  bay  of  Rio  de  Janeiro ! 

There,  at  noon,  we  anchored ;  and  thence,  under 
the  stars  and  stripes,  the  "  Cotopaxi "  never  sailed 
again.  She  was  sold  to  the  Brazilian  government. 

Returning  to  the  United  States,  we  sailed  again  in 
the  steamer  "  Tejuca,"  arriving  in  Brazil  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1865.  In  accordance  with  the  plan  proposed, 
all  the  details  of  this  ship's  journal  are  omitted,  as 
uninteresting,  until  the  date  at  which  the  subsequent 
narrative  begins. 


4o 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Effect  of  the    Telegraph.  —  Distant  Places  brought  near.  — 
Brazil  still  remote.  —  Increasing  Interest  in  the  Country. 

—  Various  Descriptions  thereof.  —  Agassiz  and  Fletcher. 

—  Origin  of  the  present  Work. 

OUR  estimates  of  distance  have  been  greatly  af- 
fected by  the  general  introduction  of  the  mag- 
netic telegraph,  by  which  not  only  the  extremes  of 
the  largest  empires,  but  even  continents  separated  by 
oceans,  are  enabled  to  exchange  instantaneous  com- 
munication. 

While  London  and  San  Francisco  are  thus  made 
to  seem  within  easy  reach,  Brazil,  which  occupies  a 
large  portion  of  our  western  continent,  is  yet,  practi- 
cally, as  distant  as  the  unfrequented  islands  of  the 
Pacific,  or  the  frozen  regions  of  the  polar  latitudes. 

It  is  true  that  a  circuitous  line  of  steam  navigation 
to  Rio  de  Janeiro  has  been  recently  established ;  but 
the  voyages,  though  made  with  a  certain  degree  of 
regularity,  are  not  more  rapid  than  those  often  accom- 
plished by  sailing  vessels.  The  capital  of  Brazil  is 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  41 

still  four  thousand  eight  hundred  miles  in  distance,  and 
one  month  in  time,  apart  from  New  York. 

Nevertheless,  Brazil  has  latterly  attracted  no  little 
attention  in  the  United  States.  Scientifically  it  has 
been  explored  by  the  enthusiastic  Agassiz ;  volu- 
minously it  has  been  described  by  the  imaginative 
Fletcher,  as  seen  through  his  glasses  of  couleur  de 
rose',  and  alluringly  it  has  been  placed  before  the 
ruined  South  of  our  land,  by  speculators,  who  care 
not  if  the  deluded  emigrants  are  ruined  again. 

It  may  be  that  these  few  pages,  written  with  no 
pretensions  to  scientific  or  literary  merit,  and  with  no 
view  of  gain  from  "  magnificent  grants,"  will  be  read 
because  they  are  not  many.  Brevity  is  a  recom- 
mendation to  which,  in  this  instance,  a  fair  claim  can 
be  made. 

My  observations  have  not  been  so  extensive  as 
could  be  wished.  Still,  they  are  all  that  I  have  to 
offer.  There  are  those  who,  by  a  long  residence  in 
Brazil,  should  be  better  qualified  to  advance  opinions 
upon  the  religion,  morality,  and  pursuits  of  the  peo- 
ple ;  but,  as  has  often  been  observed,  writers  who  are 
disposed  to  be  candid  are  sometimes  totally  at  variance 
in  their  judgments,  even  with  the  same  opportunities 
of  life-long  observation. 

These  are  merely  the  notes  of  a  captain  of  a  steamer, 
trading  on  the  coast  of  Brazil.  They  are  not  made 


42  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

up  from  books,  but  from  such  rambles  about  city  and 
country  as  time  and  opportunity  permitted,  and  from 
intercourse  with  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  passen- 
gers, with  whom  it  was  my  fortune  to  associate  at  sea. 

The  voyages  between  Rio  de  Janeiro  and  Santos, 
sometimes  extending  to  Paranagua,  were  made  be- 
tween the  months  of  January  and  September,  1866. 
It  was  not  till  May,  however,  that  the  idea  occurred 
to  me,  that  it  might  be  useful  to  others,  as  well  as 
pastime  to  myself,  to  commit  these  observations  to 
paper. 

It  is  thus  that  my  journal  commences  somewhat 
abruptly. 


43 


CHAPTER  V. 

Climate  of  Rio  de  Janeiro.  —  Intense  Heat  of  the  Weather.  — 
Trips  to  Santos.  —  The  Sea  Breeze.  —  Refreshing  Change. 
—  Beauty  of  the  Coast.  —  Configuration  of  the  Country.  — 
Rivers  of  the  Table  Land.  —  Island  of  St.  Sebastian.  — 
A  Terrestrial  Paradise.  —  Dream-Land. 

MAY  6,  1866.  —  At  this  season  of  the  year,  which 
should  correspond  with  the  November  of  north- 
ern latitudes,  instead  of  the  cooler  weather  we  might 
reasonably  expect  after  the  terrific  and  unusual  heat 
of  the  summer  months,  we  are  again  dissolving.  The 
heat  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  is  not  to  be  measured  by  ther- 
mometers. Indeed,  the  mercury  is  seldom  above  85° 
Fahrenheit;  but  there  is  a  humidity  in  this  heated 
atmosphere  that  kills  all  oxygen,  and  makes  the  air  in 
and  about  the  city  more  oppressive  and  exhausting 
than  my  experience  can  call  to  mind  elsewhere,  except- 
ing in  Algeria.  There,  the  sirocco  was  wont  to  drive 
us  to  the  stone  floor  of  the  bath-room,  and  leave  us 
panting  like  the  hart  after  the  water-brook,  till  the 
three  days'  agony  was  over. 

But    the    African    sirocco    is    only   an    occasional 


/j /]  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

misery.  Here,  a  similar  heat  has  been  constant, 
though  less  intense,  with  scarcely  an  interval  since 
our  arrival  in  December.  Day  after  day  has  been  a 
dog-day,  as  the  murky,  inactive  clouds  have  hung  over 
the  city ;  and  the  nights,  intolerable  on  shipboard  or 
on  shore,  so  far  from  bringing  relief,  have  left  us  un- 
resisting victims  to  those  birds  of  prey  that  penetrated 
through  the  nets  where  air  could  scarcely  enter.  As 
a  physician  has  truly  said  of  this  climate,  the  liver 
must  inevitably  suffer,  for  it  is  obliged  to  do  double 
duty  —  for  itself  and  for  the  lungs. 

Our  trips  to  Santos  have  afforded  some  relief  to  this 
lassitude  and  debility.  The  moment  the  bows  of  the 
ship  looked  beyond  the  "  Sugar-loaf,"  an  oppressive 
load  was  removed  from  the  lungs  and  from  the 
brain,  and  there  was  a  day's  vacation  for  exhausted 
nature. 

If  anything  could  be  worse  than  the  air  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  it  was  that  of  Santos  ;  and  we  were  rejoiced 
to  leave  that  port  again,  so  that  in  fact  the  only  enjoy- 
ment we  had,  was  at  sea. 

Added  to  the  pure  air  of  the  ocean  there  was  a  supe- 
rior mental  tonic.  We  were  exhilarated  by  the  beau- 
tiful and  picturesque  scenery  of  the  route,  embracing 
a  view  of  near  and  distant  mountains,  and  of  a  coast 
lined  alternately  with  sterile  rocks,  wild  verdure,  and 
cultivated  soil.  For  this  distance  of  two  hundred 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  45 

miles,  the  character  of  the  coast  is  peculiar  to  Brazil, 
excepting  an  occasional  variety  which  enhances  the 
;harm  of  the  general  outline.  The  meadows  from 
die  border  of  the  sea  stretch  back  on  a  level  for  ten  or 
fifteen  miles,  and  then  there  is  an  abrupt,  sometimes 
almost  perpendicular  rise  to  a  height  of  three  thou- 
sand feet,  to  what  is  called  the  "  Serra."  This  level 
attained,  the  generally  very  even  country  is  some- 
times varied  by  little  hills  and  valleys,  never  rising 
nor  descending  many  feet,  until  it  reaches  the  base 
of  the  Andes,  on  the  western  side  of  the  continent. 

Rivers  flow  sluggishly  along  this  vast  prairie  — 
rivers  that  could  be  navigated  by  steamers,  if  they, 
like  the  salmon,  could  jump  up  thither  from  the 
ocean.  Little  do  these  lazy  streams  imagine  what 
is  before  them,  till,  rolling  along  to  the  very  brink  of 
the  Serra,  they  take  their  tremendous  leaps ;  and, 
spreading  themselves  now  into  broad  cascades,  then 
into  silver  threads,  and  often  into  scarcely  more  than 
misty  vapor,  they  tumble  and  dance  over  rocks,  and 
half  float  in  the  air,  till  they  find  their  level  on  the 
plains  below,  and  there,  gathering  their  scattered 
waters  again,  become  rivers  once  more,  and,  as  such, 
surrender  themselves  to  the  ocean. 

The  high  and  richly  cultivated  Island  of  St.  Sebas- 
tian lay  in  our  track,  with  a  channel  of  one  or  two 
miles  in  width  between  it  and  the  main  land.  Out- 


46  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

side  or  inside,  the  distance  was  nearly  the  same ; 
but,  whenever  daylight  permitted,  it  was  our  favorite 
enjoyment  to  pass  through  the  narrow  inland  passage. 
Excepting  the  Bosphorus,  there  is  nothing  in  my 
memory  that  equals  these  shores  in  loveliness.  In 
some  respects  this  strait  is  even  superior  to  the  Bos- 
phorus, though  the  latter  is  adorned  by  palaces  and 
kiosks,  which  are  wanting  here.  But  for  these  we 
have  a  compensation  in  the  deep,  unfading  green  of  the 
tropics,  and  the  innumerable  cascades  which  sparkle 
with  silver  threads  upon  the  upper  rocks.  The  table- 
land on  the  summit  of  the  island  seems  to  hold  a 
perpetual  reservoir  of  water,  and  every  plantation 
and  garden  on  the  slope  has  its  own  little  river  or 
brook.  Pretty,  too,  in  the  distance,  —  and  it  is  only  in 
the  distance  that  Turkish  or  Brazilian  towns  are 
pretty,  —  are  the  little  villages  which  hang  upon  the 
hills,  and  the  abodes  of  the  fishermen  upon  the  shores. 
The  island  always  seemed  to  us  to  be  a  sort  of 
dream-land,  for  there  was  never  a  sign  of  life  upon  it. 
We  passed  close  to  the  banks  of  the  channel,  fired 
guns,  and  blew  the  shrill  steam-whistle  ;  but  the  only 
response  was  the  echo  from  the  hills.  Everything  was 
silent,  and  we  wondered  how  the  little  brooks  dared  to 
roll  over  the  stones.  No  one  appeared  to  work  or  to 
be  active  in  these  pleasure-grounds  of  the  Castle  of 
Indolence.  Even  the  fishermen  seemed  to  have  no 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  47 

lines,  as  they  leaned  dreamily  over  the  sides  of  their 
canoes,  and  they  would  scarcely  have  moved  a  paddle 
to  save  themselves  from  destruction.  They  were  all 
Brazilians  on  St.  Sebastian,  and  God  treats  them  as 
He  treats  the  lilies  of  the  field  —  He  lets  them  grow 
and  thrive. 


48 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Santos. — A  quiet  City.  —  Noise  banished. — Advantages 
unimproved.  —  Impediments  to  Commerce.  —  Brazilian 
Want  of  System.  —  Swarms  of  Office-holders.  —  Bribery  and 
Corruption.  —  Incessant  Rains.  —  A  Dutchman  in  Despair. 

SANTOS  is  approached  by  first  passing  a  rocky 
islet,  whereon  is  a  lighthouse,  and  where,  in  for- 
mer days,  was  a  semaphoric  telegraph  station.  For 
some  reason,  notwithstanding  that  trade  has  increased, 
the  telegraph  has  been  discontinued.  Many  things 
march  backward  in  Brazil,  and  among  the  people 
there  is  a  great  dread  of  improvement.  We  were  ac- 
customed to  fire  a  gun  on  our  arrival  in  the  river ;  but 
we  were  notified  not  to  do  so  again,  under  penalty  of 
a  fine,  because  it  awoke  those  who  were  taking  their 
siesta.  On  the  last  4th  of  July,  the  American  admiral, 
wishing  to  celebrate  the  day  by  saluting  at  every  port 
on  his  station,  ordered  the  United  States  store-ship 
"Onward"  to  Santos  for  this  express  purpose.  Thecom- 
mander  was  waited  upon  by  the  authorities,  and  at  their 
earnest  solicitation  he  consented  not  to  make  a  noise. 
After  rounding  the  lighthouse  island,  we  enter  a 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  49 

magnificent  bay,  at  the  head  of  which  is  a  hard  beach, 
circling  around  for  miles.  Its  upper  limit  is  fringed 
by  low  woods,  from  which  peep  out  white  "  chaca- 
ras,"  or  country  seats,  surrounded  by  pretty  gardens. 
These  are  the  summer  residences  of  the  wealthier  in- 
habitants, and,  as  it  seemed  to  us,  the  only  comfortable 
abodes  for  anybody,  either  in  summer  or  in  winter ; 
for  the  houses  in  the  town  are  the  opposites  of  all  our 
ideas  of  dwelling-places,  so  small,  damp,  and  cheerless 
do  they  appear. 

Beyond  the  eastern  end  of  the  beach,  across  the 
river,  is  the  fort,  which  nominally  defends  the  harbor. 
This  work  is  an  antiquated  Portuguese  pile  of  brick 
and  mortar,  which  in  its  best  days  would  scarcely  have 
withstood  musketry,  and  is  now,  of  course,  useless  for 
defence.  The  river  is  a  narrow  stream,  not  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  width,  but  of  sufficient  depth 
for  the  largest  class  of  ships.  It  winds  prettily  through 
a  low  plain,  covered  with  forest  and  guava  trees,  till 
the  town  of  Santos  is  reached,  at  a  distance  of  seven 
miles  from  the  fort. 

Nature  has  here  supplied  every  convenience  for 
commerce,  such  as  a  civilized  people  would  gladly 
accept  and  improve.  In  our  turn,  when  it  came,  the 
steamer  was  visited,  entered,  and  at  last  permitted 
to  discharge ;  and  this  discharging  must  needs  be 
done  at  the  custom-house  wharf,  —  a  privilege  which 
4 


5O  TEN   MONTHS   IN    BRAZIL. 

likewise  came  in  turn,  and  was  of  course  very  un- 
certain. 

I  have  said  that  Brazil  steps  backward ;  and  she  is 
doing  this  while  she  professes  a  wish  to  "  open  trade 
and  to  encourage  immigration."  Let  us  take  our  own 
case  as  an  illustration  of  the  way  in  which  she  will  be 
likely  to  accomplish  these  objects.  On  a  coastwise 
route  like  this,  of  two  hundred  miles,  in  the  United 
States,  we  could  have  made  the  round  trip  at  least 
eight  times  monthly,  receiving  and  discharging  full 
cargoes.  Here,  owing  to  no  other  cause  than  the 
vexatious  impediments  offered  by  the  government,  we 
could  scarcely  make  three  trips  in  that  time.  In  the 
first  place,  the  custom-house  is  closed  on  all  holidays 
and  saints'  days ;  and  there  are  holidays  many,  and  of 
saints'  days  an  unknown  number,  which  is  continually 
increasing.  By  and  bye,  when  there  come  to  be  more 
than  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  of  them  in  the  calen- 
dar, the  days  must  be  divided,  one  saint  taking  the  morn- 
ing and  another  the  evening.  As  it  is  now,  the  festival 
days  only  occupy  about  half  the  time.  On  these  days 
no  business  is  done.  On  the  secular  days  the  custom- 
house hours,  within  which  ships  are  permitted  to  load 
and  discharge,  are  included  between  seven  A.  M.  and 
four  P.  M.,  out  of  which  one  hour  is  taken  for  break- 
fast and  two  hours  for  dinner.  However  active  a  crew 
may  be,  they  are  obliged  to  conform  to  the  slow 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  51 

movements  of  the  custom-house  employees,  who  make 
a  pretence  of  working  at  the  same  time. 

After  the  loading  is  completed,  there  generally 
follows  a  day's  work  to  clear  at  the  custom-house. 
Thence,  after  signing  a  multiplicity  of  documents,  — 
I  counted  them  once ;  there  were  ninety-six,  —  the 
captain  is  at  length  released.  After  being  visited  by 
health-boat,  police-boat,  and  guard-boat,  we  finally 
proceed  to  sea.  When  we  enter  port  at  the  other  end 
.of  our  route,  the  same  ceremonies  are  again  to  be  ob- 
served ;  and  if  the  boarding  officials  are  at  breakfast, 
we  may  remain  at  anchor  two  or  three  hours  blowing 
off  steam,  until  their  convenience  is  suited.  And  all  this 
nonsense,  be  it  remembered,  applies  not  only  to  foreign 
trade,  but  more  especially  to  the  coasting  trade,  which 
Brazil  has  so  recently  thrown  open  to  all  nations.  As 
I  was  the  first  to  take  advantage  of  the  permission,  and 
have  followed  the  business  for  nearly  a  year,  I  feel  com- 
petent to  assure  others  that,  with  all  the  annoyances 
and  the  small  profits,  le  jeu  ne  vaut  pas  la  chandelle. 

There  is  no  true  idea  of  system  or  order  among  the 
Brazilians,  at  least  in  public  affairs.  The  post-office 
is  quite  as  badly  administered  as  the  custom-house. 
There  is  no  certainty  whatever  that  your  letters  will 
be  despatched,  or  that  your  correspondence  from  home 
will  reach  you.  There  is  a  chance  of  success,  and 
that  is  all.  Bushels  of  letters  are  scattered  about  in 


52  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

the  post-office  of  Rio  de  Janeiro.  You  are  invited  to 
enter  and  help  yourself;  and  it  may  readily  be  sup- 
posed that  in  this  way  some  people  find  the  letters  of 
others,  if  they  cannot  find  any  of  their  own.  Some 
years  ago,  when  Mr.  Gordon,  who  had  previously 
filled  the  office  of  postmaster  in  Boston,  was  consul 
here,  he  offered  to  place  the  Brazilian  post-office  upon 
an  American  footing,  saving,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  the  bad 
feature  of  rotation  in  office.  His  well-meant  proposal 
was  declined.  Like  the  Chinese,  the  Brazilians  cling 
to  "  olo  cussum  ;  "  and  it  is  a  very  peculiar  old  custom 
that  in  part  accounts  for  the  vexations  of  which  we 
complain. 

In  England  and  in  the  United  States  the  relation 
of  "  godfather,"  although  nominally  a  very  responsi- 
ble trust,  is  generally  a  sinecure.  There  is  a  promise 
that  the  child,  whose  parents  thus  pay  a  sort  of  com- 
pliment to  the  person  who  acts  as  sponsor,  shall  be 
religiously  educated,  and  shall  say  his  Catechism  like 
a  good  boy,  which  promise  the  godfather  proposes 
to  trouble  himself  very  little  in  keeping.  In  Brazil 
this  ceremony  means  a  very  different  thing.  The  rich 
and  influential  are  begged  to  assume  the  honor,  and 
can  seldom  refuse  to  take  upon  themselves  this  obliga- 
tion for  their  poor  relations,  They  make  all  sorts  of 
religious  promises  ;  but  these  are  interpreted  to  mean  a 
care  for  the  child's  advancement  in  this  life.  As  the 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  53 

godfather  naturally  wishes  to  accomplish  his  vows 
with  as  little  expense  to  himself  as  possible,  what  bet- 
ter can  he  do  than  to  provide  the  young  man,  as  soon 
as  he  is  of  suitable  age,  with  an  office  under  the  gov- 
ernment? And  if  government  has  not  a  sufficient 
number  of  offices  at  its  disposal,  how  can  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Duke,  Marquis,  Baron,  or  Comendador 
be  retained  more  easily  than  by  creating  new  offices 
for  new  office-holders?  Thus  these  men  in  office  go 
on  and  multiply,  till  the  cap-bands  and  stripes  are  be- 
coming so  numerous  that  the  people  will  soon  be  like 
the  company  of  a  down-east  schooner  —  captain,  mate, 
cook,  and  no  crew.  And  so  the  system  becomes  not 
only  an  expensive  arrangement  for  the  Brazilians 
themselves,  but  likewise  a  burden  and  an  intolerable 
nuisance  to  foreigners,  and  a  serious  impediment 
in  the  way  of  commerce. 

Moreover,  it  may  be  readily  seen  that  where  so 
many  are  feeding  from  the  public  crib,  there  must  be 
a  scarcity  of  fodder  for  all.  Hence  proceed  bribery 
and  corruption,  according  to  the  scale  of  office,  mount- 
ing upwards  from  a  milreas  to  the  colossal  figure  some- 
times reached  at  Washington. 

The  city  of  Santos  is  the  principal  seaport  of  the 
province  of  San  Paulo.  It  was  settled  at  a  very  early 
period  in  the  history  of  the  country,  by  the  Portuguese, 
who  were  at  no  loss  to  perceive  the  advantages  of  its 


54  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

situation  for  commercial  purposes  ;  and  these  are  all 
the  advantages  to  which  it  could  ever  lay  claim. 
Nothing  but  the  love  of  money  could  entice  one  to 
live  there.  It  lies  on  a  low,  alluvial  soil,  half  the 
time  submerged,  —  so  that  walking  is  impracticable, 
—  and,  for  a  portion  of  almost  every  day,  is  deluged  by 
torrents  of  rain,  which  cease  for  an  hour  or  two  only. 
Then  comes  forth,  in  this  brief  interval,  a  burning  sun, 
to  exhale  the  moisture  from  the  spongy  ground,  and  to 
pour  down  a  heat  which  renders  the  stifling  air  little 
better  than  the  fumes  from  a  charcoal  furnace. 

I  could  fully  credit  the  story  told  of  a  Dutch  captain, 
whose  race  is  generally  so  phlegmatic.  His  vessel  was 
chartered  to  load  a  cargo  of  coffee,  and  a  certain  num- 
ber of  "  working  days  "  were  stipulated  for,  "  rainy 
days  not  included."  It  did  not  suit  the  convenience 
of  the  merchant  to  ship  the  cargo  until  the  price  had 
fallen,  which  time  seemed  afar  off.  And  so  the  honest 
Dutchman  remained  at  his  anchor  day  after  day,  week 
after  week,  and  month  after  month ;  for  it  rained  so 
often  that  scarcely  a  day  could  be  counted  against  the 
inexorable  coffee-dealer.  At  length  the  skipper's  pipe 
and  his  patience  gave  out  together,  and  he  became 
raving  mad.  There  was  time  to  obtain  a  new  captain 
from  Amsterdam,  it  is  said,  before  coffee  fell  and  the 
rain  ceased  to  fall. 


55 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A  Decayed  Town.  —  Brighter  Prospects. —  Cultivation  of 
Cotton  in  Brazil.  —  Advantages  therefor  over  the  United 
States.  —  Mutations  in  Planting.  —  Cotton,  Coffee,  Sugar. 
—  Opportunities  to  make  a  Fortune. —  Primitive  Modes  of 
Conveyance.  —  Mules  and  Muleteers.  —  Cruelty  to  Animals. 

SANTOS,  with  its  decayed  landing-places  and 
dilapidated  warehouses,  reminds  one  of  New- 
buryport,  Salem,  and  other  such  towns  at  home,  that 
were  once  busy  commercial  marts,  but  have  long  since 
lost  their  trade,  and  have  become  neglected  and  forlorn. 
But  now  it  would  seem  that  a  new  and  brighter  era 
may  dawn  upon  the  city  of  Santos.  Wherever  in  the 
world  cotton  can  be  grown,  its  cultivation  has  received 
an  impetus  from  the  late  American  civil  war.  Vari- 
ous nations  have  begun  to  compete  for  the  cheapest 
production  of  this  absolutely  necessary  staple,  and 
none  have  a  fairer  chance  of  success,  in  building  their 
fortunes  upon  our  ruin,  than  Brazil,  if  her  people  can 
display  sufficient  energy.  The  most  sanguine  planters 
scarcely  hoped  to  do  more  than  to  make  large  profits 
while  the  war  continued ;  but  they  now  see  an  unlim- 


56  TEN    MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

ited  future  of  prosperity  before  them.  They  are  quite 
sure  that  the  labor  system  of  the  Southern  States  will 
be  much  more  expensive  than  heretofore,  and  that 
this  climate,  even  with  free  labor,  which  all  anticipate 
eventually,  will  give  them  every  advantage  over  us. 
Their  reasoning  is  simple,  and  not  easily  refuted. 

For  example,  in  the  province  of  San  Paulo,  of  which 
Santos  is  the  seaport,  there  is  no  winter,  properly  so 
called,  although  it  is  within  the  limits  of  the  southern 
temperate  zone.  Something  is  produced  from  the  soil, 
in  alternate  crops  throughout  the .  year,  and  there  are 
generally  two  crops  of  cotton  annually,  or,  at  least, 
three  crops  in  two  years.  There  is  no  season  in 
which  the  laborer  need  remain  idle.  He  can  always 
be  producing  something  for  his  employer  or  for  him- 
self. In  either  case  it  is  the  same,  for  it  enters  into 
the  cost  of  raising  cotton,  as  the  price  of  remunerative 
labor.  Nor,  like  the  southern  negro,  whose  service 
cannot  be  made  available  in  the  winter,  does  the 
laborer  here  require  warm  clothing,  if  any  at  all ;  for 
clothing  is  a  luxury  indulged  in  only  on  Sundays  and 
holidays.  Slave  labor,  or  free  labor,  is,  then,  un- 
deniably cheaper  here.  Moreover,  the  expense  of 
cultivation  is  infinitely  less  with  the  proper  tools,  of 
which  the  Brazilians  are  so  slow  to  learn  the  use. 
Cotton  with  us  is  planted  yearly.  Here  the  plants 
last  from  five  to  seven  years  without  renewal. 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  57 

When  slavery  existed  in  the  United  States,  cotton 
could  be  raised  for  seven  cents  per  pound  ;  and  then 
Cotton  was  King.  What  a  fall  he  has  had  from  his 
throne,  dragging  down  his  ministers  and  his  immedi- 
ate vassals  with  him,  involving  in  the  ruin  those 
who  were  obliged  to  dethrone  him  !  The  kingdom  of 
Cotton  is  changed  into  a  world-wide  republic.  Many 
nations  will  be  the  gainers,  while  we  are  losers.  At 
this  time,  with  our  present  transition  of  labor  systems, 
it  is  estimated  that  cotton  cannot  be  raised  for  less  than 
twenty  cents  per  potfnd.  Doubtless,  in  the  course  of 
years,  either  by  the  utilization  of  black  labor,  which 
the  hopes  of  some  anticipate,  or  by  the  influx  of  emi- 
grants, this  condition  will  be  improved.  But,  mean- 
while, the  outside  world  will  get  a  prodigious  start ; 
and  it  is  difficult  to  conceive,  that,  with  all  the  appli- 
ances we  can  bring  to  bear,  we  can  reduce  the  pres- 
ent cost  of  production  one  half — to  ten  cents.  To 
this  must  be  added  the  internal  revenue  tax  of  three 
cents,  arid  the  export  duty,  if  our  government  is  so  un- 
wise as  to  place  any  further  restrictions  upon  industry. 

In  this  district  of  San  Paulo,  cotton  can  be  raised  for 
very  little  more  than  our  present  revenue  tax  and  the 
proposed  export  duty ;  and  this  even  with  the  anti- 
quated tools  and  the  slow  energies  of  Brazilians.  In 
many  parts  of  the  empire  the  experiment  has  proved 
unsuccessful.  Especially  is  this  true  of  the  country 


58  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

near  Rio  de  Janeiro,  where  the  plant  is  often  utterly 
destroyed  by  worms. 

I  know  an  American  gentleman  in  charge  of  a  large 
fazenda  a  few  leagues  from  that  city,  who  has  lost  his 
entire  crop  for  the  three  years  since  he  commenced 
planting,  and  whose  almost  indomitable  perseverance 
has  been  at  last  forced  to  succumb.  He  is  now  suc- 
cessfully cultivating  sugar-cane.  Sugar  was  formerly 
the  chief  product  of  the  district  of  San  Paulo.  It  was 
abandoned  some  years  ago,  when  the  world's  demand 
for  coffee  suddenly  became  so  great ;  and  then  the 
cane-fields  became  green  with  the  beautiful  coffee  tree. 
At  present  there  is  not  sugar  enough  made  here  to 
supply  the  wants  of  a  single  village.  It  formed  the 
bulk  of  our  cargoes  from  Rio  de  Janeiro,  whence  it 
is  reexported,  after  being  landed  from  Bahia  and 
Pernambuco. 

Now,  in  their  turn,  the  coffee  trees  in  San  Paulo  are 
neglected,  and  the  fields  are  white  with  cotton,  des- 
tined to  occupy  the  ground,  at  least  for  some  years, 
until  some  other  great  change  comes  over  the  wants 
of  the  world. 

With  this  prospect  in  view  there  is  a  splendid  future 
for  the  city  of  Santos.  Already  a  direct  trade  is  opened 
between  that  city  and  Liverpool  by  the  screw  steam- 
ers, which  touch  monthly  on  their  route  to  and  from 
Montevideo.  All  that  is  wanted  is  energy.  For 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  59 

Americans,  if  there  are  any  who  can  endure  the  detes- 
table climate,  there  are  sure  opportunities  offered 
for  amassing  wealth. 

This  city  has  scarcely  more  than  four  thousand 
inhabitants,  its  population  having  decreased  within 
a  few  years.  The  price  of  land  and  other  real  estate 
is  just  now  very  low.  Emigrants  will  find  it  advanta- 
geous to  settle  near  the  seaboard,  rather  than  in  the 
interior,  whence  it  is  so  expensive  to  bring  produce  to 
market.  This  has  hitherto  been  brought  for  hundreds 
of  miles  on  the  backs  of  mules.  It  is  still  necessarily 
thus  transported  to  the  city  of  San  Paulo,  distant  from 
Santos  about  forty-five  miles  by  the  railroad  just  com- 
pleted. So  slow  are  the  Brazilians  to  see  the  advan- 
tages of  this  mode  of  conveyance,  that  most  of  them 
still  adhere  to  the  old  method  of  carriage  for  the 
whole  distance. 

Every  mule  brings  on  his  back  two  bags  of  coffee  or 
two  bales  of  cotton.  The  bags  of  coffee  each  weigh 
one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  pounds,  and  the  bales  of 
cotton  one  hundred  and  twelve  pounds.  They  make 
long  and  slow  journeys,  averaging  about  sixteen  miles 
per  day. 

The  entrance  of  a  "  troop"  of  mules  into  the  city  is 
a  lively  sight.  They  are  always  preceded  by  a  white 
horse,  with  a  string  of  bells  upon  his  neck,  all  the 
mules  obediently  following  this  leader.  Sometimes 


60  TEN    MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

troops  of  several  hundreds  arrive  on  a  morning ; 
and  again  there  are  days  with  no  arrivals.  Most  of 
the  muleteers  are  rough,  shaggy  Western  islanders,  or 
half  Indians.  They  are  finely  formed  men,  with  hand- 
some features,  but  a  devilish  expression  —  such  as  one 
would  prefer  to  meet  in  town  by  daylight,  rather  than 
on  the  mountains  by  night.  When  the  pack-saddles 
are  taken  off,  the  mules  are  pitiable  objects.  The  con- 
tinual sawing  of  their  loads  for  a  long  journey  of  hun- 
dreds of  miles  not  only  abrades  the  skin,  but  grinds 
off  the  raw  flesh  down  to  the  very  bones.  It  is  hard 
to  imagine  that  self-interest,  to  say  nothing  of  human- 
ity, can  permit  such  cruelty. 


6i 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Railroads  in  Brazil.  —  Natural  Obstacles  Encountered.  — 
Dom  Pedro  Segundo  Railroad.  —  A  Stupendous  Work.  — 
Excursion  by  Rail  to  San  Paulo.  —  Precipitous  Grades.  — 
Frightful  Chasms.  —  Queer  Sensations.  —  Aspects  of  Na- 
ture in  the  North  and  South.  —  City  of  San  Paulo.  —  In- 
stitutions of  Education.  —  Return  to  the  Plains^  &c. 

AT  last  that  inevitable  institution,  the  railroad,  has 
found  its  way  to  Brazil,  as  it  will,  doubtless,  one 
of  these  days,  reach  Timbuctoo.  In  no  country  has  it 
more  natural  obstacles  to  contend  against  than  here. 
There  are  several  small  railroads  in  the  northern  prov- 
inces, running  on  levels,  a  few  miles  from  the  cities ; 
but  there,  and  at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  they  have,  until 
lately,  been  content  to  stop  without  any  effort  to 
overcome  the  hills. 

The  first  great  work  undertaken  —  and  it  is  really 
a  stupendous  work — was  the  Dom  Pedro  II.  Railroad. 
By  the  aid  of  English  capital,  and  the  skill  of  Ameri- 
can engineers,  —  the  Messrs.  Ellison,  who  should  be 
held  in  everlasting  remembrance  here,  —  this  road  has 
already  been  carried  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles 


62  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

into  the  interior  from  Rio  de  Janeiro.  A  way  has 
been  found  to  climb  precipices  ;  bridges  have  been 
thrown  over  deep  chasms,  and  solid  mountains  have 
been  tunnelled,  in  one  instance  for  the  distance  of  two 
miles.  No  better  masonry  can  be  seen  in  the  world  ; 
and  it  is  admitted  by  Europeans  and  Americans  who 
have  passed  over  this  line,  and  are  qualified  to  judge 
of  it  in  comparison  with  others,  that  it  is  a  most 
complete  triumph  of  engineering  art. 

Another  road  is  just  completed,  —  the  one  already  re- 
ferred to,  between  Santos  and  San  Paulo,  —  which  will 
do  a  vast  deal  to  open  trade,  and  will  save  the  back  of 
many  a  poor  mule.  It  is  to  be  continued  farther  in- 
land ;  and  mules,  if  they  could  pray,  —  and  their 
prayers  would  have  a  better  chance  of  being  heard 
than  those  of  their  drivers,  —  should  pray  for  its 
speedy  extension. 

The  road  is  scarcely  yet  in  running  order ;  but  as 
we  were  desirous  of  seeing  a  work  which  has  been  so 
much  lauded,  and  also  of  visiting  the  city  of  San  Paulo, 
we  accepted  the  invitation  of  the  superintendent  to  go 
over  the  route.  Owing  to  its  unfinished  condition, 
we  could  have  accomplished  the  distance  much  more 
speedily  and  pleasantly  by  diligence,  or  on  horseback, 
by  a  good  mountain  road ;  but  we  should  not  have 
seen  what  we  did  see  under  some  difficulties.  The 
connections  were  intended  to  have  been  made ;  but  un- 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  63 

fortunately  they  were  not  made,  so  that  we  were  thirty 
hours  in  accomplishing  our  forty-five  miles.  We  thus 
made  a  speed,  including  stops,  of  one  and  a  half  mile 
per  hour,  which  rate  it  is  intended  to  increase  by 
and  bye. 

Our  first  stopping-place  was  Mugi,  a  village  fifteen 
miles  from  Santos,  and  at  the  end  of  the  low  level. 
Making  a  virtue  of  necessity,  we  passed  a  very 
pleasant  afternoon  and  night  at  this  collection  of 
adobe  huts. 

At  such  places,  the  "  vendas*  or  grog-shops,  gen- 
erally do  duty  as  hotels ;  but  here  a  German  landlord 
has  established  himself,  and  really  keeps  a  very  com- 
fortable inn.  His  chief  customers  are  the  English 
employees  of  the  road,  from  whom  he  makes  no  little 
profit  on  beer  and  brandy.  Mr.  Sharp,  the  contractor, 
has  a  good  two-story  dwelling-house,  which  is  sur- 
rounded by  quite  a  little  settlement  of  his  countrymen. 
The  aristocracy  consist  of  Mr.  Sharp  and  a  Scotch 
doctor  and  his  family.  The  plebeians  are  the  engine- 
drivers  and  understrappers.  Glad  enough  to  hear  our 
own  language  spoken,  we  accommodated  ourselves  to 
both  extremes  of  society,  and  thus  whiled  away  our 
time  as  best  we  might. 

In  the  morning  we  recommenced  our  journey  by 
being  drawn  up  the  inclined  plane  to  the  "Alto,"  or 
top  of  the  Serra,  which  is  twenty-seven  hundred  feet 


64  TEN    MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

above  Mugi.  This  part  of  the  trip  is  a  pleasure 
which,  taken  once  in  a  man's  life,  is,  as  a  pleasure, 
sufficient.  The  grade  is  one  foot  in  ten,  and  the 
ascent  is  effected  by  stationary  engines,  four  of  which 
are  placed  at  nearly  equal  distances  apart.  A  large 
wire  rope  is  attached  to  the  train,  when  the  invisible 
power,  a  mile  above,  commences  operations.  Slowly 
we  begin  to  move  upwards  on  the  track,  which  winds 
along  the  brink  of  an  ever-growing  precipice. 

Uncomfortable  is  a  very  mild  word  to  apply  to  the 
sensation  produced  ;  and,  as  we  go  up,  up,  up,  this  feel- 
ing naturally  increases  —  a  possible  fall  being  calculated 
to  be  more  and  more  like  annihilation  in  proportion  to 
the  ascent  gained.  These  queer  sensations  arrive  at 
their  greatest  intensity  on  the  last  stretch,  when,  look- 
ing from  the  window,  we  perceive  a  chasm  yawning 
beneath,  the  remembrance  of  which  makes  my  pen 
quiver  even  now. 

It  is  admitted  that  the  road  is  dangerous.  And  thus 
it  will  continue  to  be  for  some  time,  at  least  until  the 
banks  settle  so  that  they  will  not  be  washed  away,  as 
they  frequently  are  now,  by  the  heavy  rains.  Fortu- 
nately the  "  slides  "  have  taken  place  when  no  train 
was  upon  the  track ;  but  this  immunity  cannot  always 
be  counted  upon.  A  passenger  must  have  the  un- 
pleasant reflection  that  he  may  be  called  upon  to 
"  assist "  at  the  first  fatal  catastrophe. 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  65 

But  all  these  perils  —  at  least  for  those  who  have 
never  made  the  ascent  before  —  are  more  than  counter- 
balanced by  the  exhilaration  of  the  mountain  air,  and 
by  the  wonderful  magnificence  and  beauty  of  the 
scenery.  The  fields  below  "  stand  dressed  in  living 
green ; "  the  mountain-tops,  the  hill-sides,  and  the 
valleys  are  all  alike  of  this  color,  in  different  shades 
of  their  own  verdure,  and  all  perpetually  changing, 
as  the  dark  or  fleecy  clouds  throw  their  shadows 
over  the  scene.  Even  the  rocky  cliffs  and  precipices, 
steep  down  for  hundreds  and  even  thousands  of  feet, 
scarcely  show  their  barrenness,  being  covered,  as  are 
also  the  forest  trees,  with  thick-hanging  parasitic  flow- 
ers. All  else  that  Nature  deigns  to  wear  to  vary  and 
display  more  forcibly  her  everlasting  mantle  of  green, 
are  the  silver-white  ribbons  of  the  streams,  which 
scatter  themselves  far  and  wide  over  the  slopes,  and 
add  another  charm  to  what  would  already  seem  per- 
fection. 

There  are  landings  on  this  great  staircase,  which  we 
ascended,  where  the  cars  are  attached  to  the  engines 
above.  Each  of  these  engines  turns  a  shaft,  around 
which  is  wound  the  wire  cable,  that  draws  up  one 
train  while  it  gently  lowers  another.  These  "  down 
trains  "  are  not  absolutely  necessary,  but  when  conve- 
nient they  are  used  as  aids  to  the  engines. 

Just  before  we  reached  the  summit,  heavy  clouds 
5 


66  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

began  to  gather  around  us ;  and  when  we  arrived  at 
the  "Alto"  it  was  in  the  midst  of  a  pouring  rain, 
while  everything  below  was  smiling  in  sunshine. 
And  now  came  the  "  winter  of  our  discontent,"  for 
again  there  was  no  connection  of  trains  ;  and  in  default 
of  it  there  were  no  pretty  Scotch  girls,  as  at  Mugi,  to 
dispel  the  dreariness  of  the  day  before  us.  So  we 
crept  into  a  miserable  venda;  and  there,  in  a  miscel- 
laneous company,  listening  to  all  sorts  of  oaths  and 
jargon,  breathing  the  aroma  of  caxache  rum,  garlic, 
unwashed  Portuguese,  undressed  negroes,  and  the 
general  stench  of  humidity,  we  waited  till  evening, 
when  the  train  arrived. 

As  the  afternoon  advanced,  the  mist  cleared  away ; 
and  when  we  were  at  length  upon  our  road  to  San 
Paulo,  it  was  that  beautiful  hour  when  daylight  dies, 
and  when  the  shadows  of  night  are  seen  creeping 
along  to  its  funeral.  The  change  was  scarcely 
perceptible,  so  nearly  alike  were  the  half-clear  day- 
light and  the  night  illumined  by  stars.  Our  eyes 
revelled  in  perfection  when  the  moon  rose,  far  away 
beyond  the  vast  plains,  over  which  we  were  so  rapidly 
whirled.  Thanks  to  those  powerful  engines,  we  had 
been  elevated  into  another  atmosphere  —  a  different 
world !  Below,  in  Santos  and  on  the  plains  we  had 
left,  the  "  pale  moon,  with  sickly  ray,"  was  scarcely 
penetrating  the  miasmatic  fog,  and  the  stars  were 


TEN   MONTHS   IN   BRAZIL.  67 

glimmering  like  lights  from  the  attic  windows  of  some 
pest-visited  city.  Here,  all  bright  and  clear,  the  night- 
lights  of  heaven  danced  through  an  air  which  was  the 
breath  of  electric  life.  It  was  like  the  glowing  Octo- 
ber of  Vermont.  What  a  month  that  is  !  And  how 
faint  and  feeble,  in  comparison,  was  this  scene,  that 
reminded  us  of  it !  There  is  no  such  pure  atmos- 
phere, no  such  variety  of  view,  and,  above  all,  no 
such  fresh  coloring,  in  the  tropics  as  in  our  northern 
climes.  Here  we  pass  through  immense  tracts  of 
wild  woods,  where  the  trees  of  perennial  green  are 
giant  garden  plants,  blooming  with  flowers.  We 
cannot  but  love  and  caress  Nature,  as,  thus  gaudily 
dressed,  she  is  forever  smiling  upon  us ;  but  she  is 
like  the  women  of  this  clime  —  lovely,  languid,  in- 
expressive, always  the  same. 

In  these  regions,  Nature,  animate  or  inanimate,  is 
alike  lazy, —  almost  too  lazy  to  die  as  she  dies  with  us, 
only  to  live  again, — throwing  around  herself  such  a 
pall  of  beauty,  that,  when  we  look  upon  her  autumn, 
the  idea  of  our  own  death  is  robbed  of  its  terrors. 

Yet  this  was  a  near  approach  to  a  temperate  climate  ; 
and  the  contrast  with  the  deadly,  sickening  heat  we 
had  so  long  endured  was  so  great,  that  the  sensations 
caused  by  unaccustomed  pulsation  were  for  a  time 
almost  uncomfortable. 

The  country  through  which  we  passed  was  generally 


68  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

level,  and  partially  cleared,  affording,  one  would  think, 
excellent  pasturage,  and  good  land  for  growing  wheat 
or  corn.  And  yet  no  cattle  are  raised  near  the  coast, 
no  butter  or  cheese  is  made,  no  wheat  is  grown, 
and  Indian  corn  is  not  produced  in  sufficient  quantity 
for  home  consumption.  The  reasons  assigned  are, 
that  cattle  can  be  had  for  almost  nothing  far  in  the 
interior.  So  they  are  driven  down  to  the  sea,  and 
what  the  flies  and  the  "  bichos  "  leave  is  consumed 
by  the  people.  They  are  grateful  that  these  destroy- 
ers cannot  eat  the  hide  and  the  bones,  which  are 
nearly  all  that  is  left.  As  for  wheat  and  Indian 
corn,  they  say  there  is  more  profit  in  raising  coffee 
and  cotton,  and  they  c'an  better  import  these  grains 
than  raise  them.  They  obtain  very  good  fresh  cheese 
from  the  province  of  Minas ;  and  they  rather  prefer 
the  butter  which  has  become  rancid,  when  imported 
from  Europe  or  the  United  States,  high  as  the  price  is 
compared  with  what  they  could  afford  it  for  themselves, 
—  for  a  Brazilian  is  as  fond  of  grease  as  a  Russian. 

The  people  here  all  believe  that  milk  is  an  unwhole- 
some article  of  food.  It  is  a  fact  that  two  cows  supply 
the  whole  city  of  Santos.  Every  morning  these,  and 
these  only,  may  be  seen  driven  about  the  town,  each 
with  her  muzzled  calf  tied  to  the  end  of  her  tail. 
The  milk  is  drawn  off  at  the  doors  of  those  who 
require  it,  the  procession  of  cow}  calf,  and  milkman 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  69 

passing  through  whole  streets  without  a  call.  When 
a  customer  is  found,  he  is  fully  supplied  from  a  small 
measure  containing  less  than  half  a  pint. 

At  a  late  hour  of  the  evening  we  were  landed  at  the 
station,  which  is  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city  of  San 
Paulo.  Thence  we  walked  to  the  Hotel  d'Europe, 
through  clean,  well-paved  streets,  bordered  with  low 
houses,  neat,  at  least  outwardly. 

In  almost  every  foreign  place  we  have  found  a 
"  Hotel  d'Europe ;  "  and  as  it  has  so  often  happened 
to  be  the  best  in  the  town,  we  decided  to  trust  our- 
selves to  it  here.  Nor  were  we  mistaken  or  disap- 
pointed. The  hotel  compared  favorably  with  any 
yet  seen  in  Brazil,  and  was  superior  to  those  of 
the  capital.  The  table  was  good  and  abundant, 
and  the  price  for  transient  guests  was  only  three 
milreas  (one  dollar  and  fifty  cents)  per  day,  including 
vin  ordinaire.  In  a  French  hotel,  by  the  by,  this 
is  indispensable.  Were  Frenchmen  on  a  wreck  with 
an  allowance  of  a  crumb  of  bread  and  a  drop  of 
water,  they  would  expect  the  vin  ordinaire  to  be 
included.  Fruit  was  abundant  here,  the  strawberries 
and  grapes  being  particularly  fine.  I  believe  that 
cherries  are  unknown  in  Brazil.  We  were  told,  by 
an  English  resident,  that  the  peaches,  in  their  season, 
are  equal  to  those  of  New  Jersey ;  but  when  he 
added,  "  They  are  not  hup  to  those  we  have  in  Hing- 


70  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

land,"  we  knew  that  he  was  not  qualified  to  make 
the  comparison. 

The  city  of  San  Paulo  contains  twenty  thousand 
inhabitants,  and  has  a  great  deal  of  trade  with  the 
interior.  For  the  present  the  terminus  of  the  railroad 
is  here,  and  thus  for  some  time  San  Paulo  will  be 
the  depot  of  all  the  merchandise  going  to  and  from 
the  seaboard.  But  when  the  road  is  opened,  as  it 
soon  will  be,  into  the  rich  district  of  Campinas,  this 
place  will  lose  its  commercial  importance.  Railroads 
terminating  in  small  villages  sometimes  convert  them 
into  great  cities  ;  by  passing  through  large  towns  they 
often  cause  them  to  dwindle  down  to  small  villages. 

The  people  of  this  province  are  called  Paulistas. 
They  are  generally  of  a  purer  race  than  their  more 
northern  countrymen,  having  less  negro  blood  in  their 
veins ;  nor  are  they  so  much  mixed  with  the  Indians 
as  the  inhabitants  south,  in  Paranagua.  The  women 
are  often  pretty,  and  not  unfrequently  of  fair,  clear 
complexion,  through  which  blushes,  unknown  else- 
where, may  occasionally  be  seen.  Well  located  in  San 
Paulo  are  the  chief  literary  institutions  of  the  empire. 
It  enjoys  the  finest  climate  in  Brazil,  and  surely  pure 
air  enters  into  the  production  of  clear  brains.  The 
course  of  education  in  law,  physic,  and  divinity  is 
very  complete,  occupying  terms  of  seven  years.  It 
was  vacation  time,  and  the  three  classes  of  students, 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  ^1 

who  form  a  lively  and  important  part  of  the  popula- 
tion, being  away  at  their  homes,  the  town  was  con- 
sidered dull.  These  young  men,  belonging  almost 
always  to  the  richest  families  of  the  empire,  disburse 
a  great  deal  of  money  among  the  Paulistas,  who  are 
consoled  in  their  absence  by  the  reflection  that  when 
they  return  they  will  bring  with  them  all  the  money 
that  can  be  wrung  out  of  their  "  governors."  It  being 
therefore  "  the  dull  season,"  we  could  please  our- 
selves only  with  viewing  the  outside  of  the  college 
buildings. 

We  had  no  letters  of  introduction,  and  so  we  made 
no  acquaintances,  excepting  those  of  our  very  civil 
landlord  and  of  an  American  dentist  —  for  American 
dentists  find  employment  in  all  Brazilian  towns,  and 
in  the  mouths  of  almost  all  Brazilian  women  who 
can  afford  to  avail  themselves  of  their  services. 
Pleased  with  what  we  had  seen,  and  invigorated 
by  our  short  sojourn  in  these  upper  regions,  we 
trusted  ourselves  again  to  the  wire  rope,  and  were 
lowered  down  to  the  hot  plains  below.  Soon  again 
we  found  ourselves  on  the  deck  of  the  steamer,  and 
on  the  next  day  sailed  for  Rio  de  Janeiro. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Trip  on  the  Dom  Pedro  Segundo  Railroad.  — American  and 
English  Engineering  Compared.  —  Dismal  Swamp.  — 
Terminus  of  the  Road. — Future  Extension. — A  Negro- 
loving  Philanthropist.  —  Laziness  and  Cunning  of  the 
Negroes.  —  Unprofitable  Servants.  —  The  Plan  a  Failure. 

BY  invitation  of  Mr.  Ellison,  engineer-in-chief 
of  the  Dom  Pedro  II.  Railroad,  we  had  a  favor- 
able opportunity  of  travelling  over  this  magnificent 
work  to  its  present  terminus,  one  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  from  Rio  de  Janeiro.  We  could  not  avoid 
comparing  it  very  favorably  with  the  San  Paulo 
road,  and  feeling  pride  that  the  American  style  of 
construction  was,  at  least  in  this  one  instance,  so 
immeasurably  superior  to  the  English. 

This  road  follows  for  a  greater  distance  the  low 
level,  which  on  this  part  of  the  coast  extends  about 
forty  miles  before  the  inevitable  Serra  is  reached. 
The  Serra,  or  upper  platform  of  land,  may  average 
three  thousand  feet  high  for  its  whole  extent.  For  the 
first  ten  miles  the  road  passes  through  the  beautiful 
and  highly  cultivated  suburbs  of  the  city,  leaving  on 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  73 

the  right,  the  palace  and  grounds  of  San  Christovao, 
and  cutting  through  the  gardens  of  the  numerous 
chacaras  inhabited  by  the  wealthy  citizens.  For  the 
rest  of  the  level,  as  far  as  Belem,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Serra,  the  land  is  divided  about  equally  between 
plantation,  pasturage,  and  morass,  with  here  and 
there  a  village  at  the  railway  stations.  The  cars 
are  mostly  of  the  American  pattern,  which  is  gen- 
erally preferred  in  this  warm  climate. 

For  ten  miles  before  arriving  at  Belem  (or  Beth- 
lehem), we  passed  through  a  most  dismal  swamp, 
indeed.  The  waste  of  human  life  in  the  construction 
of  this  short  section  was  horrible,  and  the"  few 
laborers  and  overseers  who  survived  the  inevitable 
fever  of  this  pool  of  abominations,  are  now  tottering 
to  the  grave  with  ruined  constitutions. 

We  had  no  such  discomforts  here  as  on  the  San 
Paulo  road.  Although  the  rise  from  the  coast  to 
the  Serra  is  the  same  in  both  places,  we  were  not 
obliged  to  change  seats  or  to  feel  that  our  lives 
hung  by  a  thread,  or  even  by  a  wire  rope.  Not- 
withstanding that  in  some  places  the  grade  could  not 
be  reduced  to  less  than  one  foot  in  fifteen,  the  stal- 
wart American  iron  horse  jogged  along,  slowly,  it 
is  true,  and  straining  his  muscles  to  the  utmost,  but 
carrying  us  bravely  through  the  notches  and  along 
the  sides  of  the  hills.  There  was  a  feeling  of  perfect 


74  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

security  as  we  surveyed  the  solid  masonry  and  stone 
walls — seemingly  as  durable  as  those  of  the  Simplon, 
or  of  the  road  over  Mount  Cenis.  We  could  not  but 
marvel  that  Americans  should  have  so  far  surpassed 
in  a  foreign  land  anything  that  has  been  done  at  home. 

The  scenery  is  of  the  same  character  as  that  of 
the  Serra  farther  south,  but  more  beautiful  in  variety. 
Lost  for  a  moment  in  wonder  at  the  giant  forest 
which  surrounded  us,  the  next  instant  opened  a  vista 
through  which  we  looked  far  down  on  the  valley  of 
Macacos,  extending  for  miles  between  two  spurs  of 
the  Serra  —  every  foot  of  it  a  fruitful  garden. 

Rhodeo  is  the  first  station,  about  sixty  miles 
from  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  nearly  at  the  "  Alto "  of 
the  Serra.  From  thence,  after  rising  three  hundred 
feet  more,  until  a  height  of  three  thousand  feet  is 
attained,  there  is  a  more  gradual  descent  to  the 
valley  and  river  of  Parahiba,  where  is  the  present 
terminus  of  the  road  for  traffic.  It  is  partially 
completed,  and  will  soon  be  opened  as  far  as  Entre 
Rios,  where  it  crosses  the  celebrated  "  Uniao  e 
Industria "  carriage  road.  For  some  forty  miles 
across  the  valley  the  grade  is  comparatively  level, 
and  there  are  few  natural  obstacles  to  be  overcome. 

But  the  march  of  the  Dom  Pedro  II.  Railroad  is 
onward.  Its  future  progress  is  over  and  through 
mountains  and  rocks,  till  the  great  mining  district  of 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  75 

Minas,  now  the  journey  of  weeks,  is  brought  within 
two  days'  communication  with  the  capital.  Govern- 
ment cannot  well  spare  the  money,  depleted  as  the 
treasury  now  is  by  an  unprofitable  war ;  but  as  it  has 
assumed  the  responsibility  of  finishing  the  road,  it 
will  be  done.  The  investment  will,  at  all  events, 
prove  a  better  one  than  that  in  Paraguay,  where  life, 
as  well  as  treasure,  has  been  so  uselessly  sacrificed. 

Returning  towards  the  city,  and  passing  Rhodeo,  we 
were  landed,  by  the  kind  invitation  of  Dr.  Gunning, 
at  the  platform  a  few  steps  from  his  chacara.  Charm- 
ing as  is  this  beautiful  retreat,  perched  in  the  moun- 
tain wilderness,  looking  through  its  clearings  down 
on  the  lovely  valley  of  Macacos,  there  is  something 
more  charming  in  the  character  of  our  amiable  hosts. 

Dr.  Gunning  is  a  practical  negro-loving  philanthro- 
pist. Although  his  schemes  have  been  failures,  and 
his  efforts  for  the  improvement  of  the  black  race  have 
been  entirely  without  success,  he  is  yet  as  sanguine 
as  ever,  still  persevering,  in  spite  of  misfortune,  and 
even  of  ridicule,  so  much  harder  to  bear. 

Coming  as  we  did  from  a  country  where  we  knew 
too  well  how  much  of  the  pretended  love  for  the 
negro  has  emanated  from  that  political  ambition 
which  has  made  him  the  mere  tool  for  the  purposes 
of  party  and  of  power,  we  could  not  but  admire  and 
love  this  disinterested  enthusiast. 


76  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

Dr.  Gunning  left  a  high  position  in  the  Medical 
College  of  Edinburgh,  sixteen  years  ago,  and  came  to 
Brazil  for  the  improvement  of  his  health.  Here,  in  a 
short  time,  his  skill  as  a  physician,  and  some  profitable 
investments  in  the  mines,  secured  him  an  ample  for- 
tune. Had  his  constitution  permitted  him  to  return 
to  England,  he  would,  doubtless,  have  found  full  scope 
for  his  benevolence  among  the  poor  whites  there  ;  but 
as  he  was  obliged  to  remain  in  Brazil,  he  naturally 
turned  his  attention  to  the  prevailing  color.  In  short, 
as  an  individual,  he  resolved  to  devote  his  time, 
talents,  and  property  to  the  experiment  which  nations 
have  tried  in  vain.  He  would  raise  the  black  to  the 
Jevel  of  the  white  race,  by  a  practical  trial  of  a  theory 
not  new,  but  variously  attempted  —  that  of  "giving 
the  black  man  a  fair  chance." 

With  this  object  steadily  in  view,  he  purchased 
some  thirty-five  or  forty  negroes.  He  bought  a  tract 
of  land  nearly  two  miles  square  on  the  railroad  which 
was  then  building,  about  six  years  ago,  and  on  it  the 
pretty  cottage  at  which  we  were  so  hospitably  enter- 
tained now  stands. 

In  its  neighborhood  he  built  comfortable  huts  for  his 
negroes,  and  gave  to  each  as  large  a  garden  spot  as  he 
required.  At  that  time  the  planters  and  other  slave- 
owners were  gaining  enormously  by  the  labor  of  their 
negroes  upon  the  railroad,  so  that  the  value  of  a  slave 


TEN   MONTHS   IN   BRAZIL.  77 

was  soon  cleared.  The  good  doctor  asked  himself  the 
question,  "  If  a  planter  can  clear  a  negro,  why  cannot 
a  negro  clear  himself?"  A  woman's  answer,  "Be- 
cause —  "  would  have  been  more  to  the  purpose  than 
his  own.  At  any  rate,  the  negroes  did  not  clear 
themselves,  and  they  remain  on  hand  to  this  day. 

The  doctor  commenced  a  perfect  system  of  book- 
keeping. Each  colored  gentleman  had  his  name  at 
the  head  of  a  page,  with  Dr.  on  the  left  and  Cr.  on 
the  right :  Dr.  to  his  first  cost,  interest  on  the  same, 
and  subsequent  expenses  for  food,  clothing,  &c. ;  Cr. 
by  cash  received  for  his  individual  labor.  When  the 
accounts  balanced  he  was  to  be  free.  But  none  of 
the  accounts  ever  came  to  be  balanced. 

The  negro  is  often  not  so  much  of  a  fool  as  his 
white  apologist.  He  would  have  no  objection  to  free- 
dom if  it  could  be  had  for  nothing,  for  the  days  of 
idleness  before  him  are  a  tempting  luxury.  But  these 
fellows  had  the  sense  to  see  that  with  such  a  master 
as  Dr.  Gunning,  freedom  would  not  be  worth  working 
for.  The  result  was,  that  they  were  nearly  half  the 
time  drunk,  or  sick  in  the  hospital,  and  when  they 
did  work,  they  worked  so  unprofitably  that  the  rail- 
road company  dispensed  with  their  services. 

The  doctor  is  now  using  them  in  clearing  and  plant- 
ing his  own  grounds,  and  crediting  them  writh  their 
daily  labor.  In  this  way  he  promises  himself  that 


78  TEN    MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

they  will  eventually  earn  their  freedom.  His  neigh- 
bors say  that  the  work  would  be  done  in  a  cheaper 
and  better  manner  if  he  gave  them  their  freedom  at 
once,  and  then  hired  the  slaves  of  others. 

In  the  mean  time  the  doctor  submits  quietly  to  the 
robbery  of  his  hen-roosts,  the  stealing  of  his  fruit  and 
vegetables,  the  surreptitious  milking  of  his  cows,  and 
the  other  annoyances,  great  and  small,  which  the 
presence  of  these  vagabonds  entails  upon  him.  His 
corn  is  gathered  early,  but  it  is  not  gathered  for  him  ; 
and  his  crop  of  green  coffee  is  large  for  others,  while 
that  of  ripe  coffee  is  small  for  himself.  The  black 
lilies  "  toil  not,  neither  do  they  spin,"  and  the  slaves 
are  hard  masters,  "  reaping  where  they  have  not 
sown." 

When  our  excellent  friend  first  made  his  investment, 
he  was  very  inconsiderate  in  the  explanation  of  his 
plans  to  the  negroes.  One  morning  after  instructing 
them  in  the  mysteries  of  book-keeping,  he  added  that, 
in  case  of  his  death  at  any  time,  they  would  be  free  at 
once.  On  the  same  night  he  was  attacked  in  his  bed 
by  a  negro  with  an  iron  bar,  and  seriously  beaten  over 
the  head.  Fortunately  the  generous  Scotchman's  head 
was  harder  than  his  heart,  and  the  only  result  of  the 
blow  was  an  enlargement  of  the  organ  of  caution. 


79 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  Brazilian  Plantation  under  Yankee  Management.  —  De- 
scription of  the  Fazenda.  —  Sunshine  and  Shade.  — Brazil- 
ian Cookery.  —  Ride  over  the  Estate.  —  Working  of  the 
Negroes.  —  Freedom  and  Slavery.  —  Comparative  Advan- 
tages and  Disadvantages.  —  Moral  Reflections,  &c. 

r  I  ^HERE  is  a  fazenda  on  the  line  of  the  railroad, 
X  about  twenty  miles  from  Rio  de  Janeiro,  which 
belonged  to  a  Portuguese  family  for  many  generations. 
At  last  the  family  decayed,  and  the  plantation  like- 
wise went  to  ruin.  The  old  stone  buildings  began  to 
crumble,  and  the  brush-wood,  starting  up  in  the  place 
of  neglected  sugar-cane,  soon  became  a  young  forest, 
where  the  cattle  ran  wild,  and  the  negroes 'became 
very  much  like  them.  At  length,  by  mortgage,  this 
property  fell  into  the  hands  of  Baron  Maua,  the  great- 
est capitalist  and  banker  in  Brazil.  The  baron  had 
an  adopted  daughter,  and  she  had  a  lover  from  the 
land  of  the  Yankees ;  and  the  baron,  like  the  sensible 
man  he  is,  favored  the  love  of  the  young  people,  had 
them  married,  and  then  turned  over  this  plantation  of 
four  thousand  acres  to  Mr.  Hayes,  for  him  to  "  im- 
prove." 


So  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

It  looked  "seedy"  enough,  although  that  would 
seem  an  improper  term  for  unpl anted  land  —  five  years 
ago.  But  now  the  desert  is  beginning  to  blossom,  and 
in  five  years  more  the  empire  will  not  contain  a  more 
flourishing  or  better  conducted  estate. 

We  were  cordially  welcomed  at  the  station  by  our 
countryman,  and,  mounting  a  chariot  which  he  had 
exhumed  and  renovated,  —  a  curiosity,  indeed,  of 
Portuguese  antiquity,  —  we  were  driven  off  to  the 
fazenda. 

A  "  fazenda "  is,  properly,  a  plantation ;  but  the 
name  is  applied  also  to  the  house  upon  it.  These 
houses  are  all  in  very  much  the  same  style.  From 
a  distance  a  fazenda,  with  its  outbuildings,  has  the 
air  of  a  fortress,  being  arranged  quadrilaterally,  with 
a  large  area  within.  This  area  serves  as  a  play- 
ground for  young  darkies,  a  promenade  for  sheep, 
goats,  calves,  and  pigs,  a  drying-ground  for  clothes, 
a  receptacle  for  firewood,  charcoal,  vegetables,  old 
tools,  bottles,  broken  wagons,  empty  barrels,  wash- 
tubs,  and  a  vast  quantity  of  filth,  which  might  be  of 
considerable  service  if  incorporated  into  the  land  out- 
side. In  this  instance  foreign  habits  had  very  much 
improved  upon  native  untidiness. 

The  front  face  of  this  fazenda  was  at  least  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length,  being  mostly  of  one 
story,  with  another  added,  sufficient  for  a  few  sleeping- 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  8 1 

rooms,  over  the  middle  of  the  long  range.  At  one  end 
was  the  kitchen,  at  the  other  the  chapel.  Between 
them  ran  a  long,  wide  gallery,  hung  with  family  por- 
traits. This  served  for  hall,  salon,  and  general  purposes 
of  family  gathering,  the  dining-room  and  sleeping- 
rooms  opening  from  it,  and  looking  out  upon  the  area. 

There  could  not  be  contrived  a  more  comfortable 
house  for  a  hot  climate.  But  there  was  an  absence  of 
piazzas  and  shade  trees.  Strangely,  these  are  always 
wanting  to  Brazilian  houses.  There  is  no  way  of 
accounting  for  this  singular  omission  other  than  by 
attributing  it  to  the  influence  of  negro  blood,  more  or 
less  of  which  runs  in  the  veins  of  so  many  of  the  people. 
A  negro,  and  only  a  negro,  luxuriates  in  the  sunshine 
of  the  tropics.  All  other  natives  of  hot  regions — the 
Bengalese  and  Malays,  for  examples  —  take  every  pre- 
caution against  the  sun's  rays.  When  a  white  fireman 
on  board  of  a  steamer  comes  up  from  his  watch,  he 
always  leans  over  the  rail  in  the  shade,  where  he  can 
get  the  air.  But  the  negro  fireman  comes  up  at  noon- 
day, under  a  vertical  sun,  and  throws  himself  down  to 
sleep  upon  a  deck  which  would  blister  the  skin  of  a 
rhinoceros. 

This  want  of  shade  gives  all  Brazilian  houses  a 
forlorn  and  forbidding  exterior.  It  must  be  oc- 
casioned by  an  Ethiopian  love  of  sunshine. 

A  different  taste  is  very  noticeable  among  the  people 
6 


O2  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

of  Montevideo  and  Buenos  Ayres.  In  a  climate  of 
so  much  higher  latitude,  the  luxury  of  shade  does 
not  seem  so  indispensable  as  it  should  be  in  Brazil. 
Nevertheless,  their  "  quintas  "  are  as  tasteful  as  these 
fazendas  are  repulsive.  There  we  find  the  most  re- 
freshing coolness  in  the  very  sight  of  the  verandas, 
awnings,  and  shade  trees,  which  are  the  invariable 
protectors  against  summer  heat.  Among  those  de- 
scendants of  the  old  Spaniards  there  is  no  negro 
blood. 

Arriving  at  the  fazenda,  we  were  kindly  received  by 
the  charming  hostess,  whose  agreeable  manners  made 
us  immediately  at  home.  Hospitality  is  a  Brazilian 
virtue,  and  we  were  not  surprised  at  meeting  a  numer- 
ous though  accidental  company  around  the  table.  It 
was  not  unpleasant  to  find  that  while  the  taste  of  her 
Brazilian  guests  had  been  duly  consulted,  the  English 
education  of  our  young  hostess  had  qualified  her  like- 
wise to  please  the  palates  of  her  husband  and  his  friends. 
So  we  had  a  nicely  prepared  English  dinner,  while 
the  Brazilians,  neglecting  our  dishes,  held  to  their 
carne  seca,  torcinho,  feijaos,  and  bacalhao. 

The  first  three  of  these  articles  are  served  together, 
carne  seca  being,  what  its  name  implies,  dried  meat,  or, 
as  we  term  it,  "jerked  beef,"  immense  quantities  of 
which  are  cured  in  Buenos  Ayres,  chiefly  for  the  con- 
sumption of  West  India  negroes  and  Brazilians.  It 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  83 

has  long  been  an  article  of  commerce,  giving  employ- 
ment to  a  large  fleet  of  vessels.  Torcinho  is  clear  pork, 
or  the  fat  of  hogs,  from  which  lard  is  made.  Feijaos 
are  black  beans.  These  three  articles,  with  various 
concomitants,  in  which  garlic  is  never  wanting,  are 
stirred  together  and  stewed,  and  thus  form  the  omni- 
present national  dish.  Bacalhao,  or  salt  codfish, 
ranks  next.  Professor  Agassiz  told  us  that  the  people 
about  the  Amazon  are  so  fond  of  it,  that  they  will  not 
use  the  delicate  fish  of  their  own  waters,  if  they  can 
get  this  greater  delicacy  from  Newfoundland.  Beef 
and  mutton  are  generally  tough  and  lean.  When 
these  meats  are  seen  upon  the  table,  they  are  so  much 
cooked  that  the  little  juice  they  contained  is  dried  up, 
and  the  meat  is  blackened  like  charcoal.  In  this  state 
it  is  served  as  part  of  an  olla  podrida,  with  yams,  cab- 
bage, and  garlic.  The  Brazilian  cuisine  by  itself  is  an 
unmitigated  abomination ! 

Early  on  the  next  morning  we  were  all  on  horse- 
back, prepared  to  take  a  survey  of  the  plantation. 
We  trotted  leisurely  through  the  cotton,  cane,  and 
mandioca  fields,  and  then  galloped  over  the  pastures, 
and  through  the  shady  lanes,  which  intersect  the  forest 
not  yet  brought  under  cultivation,  passing  on  our  way 
the  gangs  of  negroes  going  to  their  work. 

No  one  will  suppose  that  they  were  hurrying  with 
any  great  alacrity  to  their  forced  labor ;  but  there  was 


84  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

no  appearance  of  suffering  among  them,  nor  were  the 
overseers  cracking  whips  over  their  backs.  They 
were  generally  singing  cheerfully,  and  they  invariably 
saluted  Mr.  Hayes,  pleasantly  as  well  as  respectfully. 
"  God  be  with  you  !  "  they  said  to  us,  and  "  God  be 
with  you !  "  we  replied  to  them ;  neither  black  nor 
white  man  thinking  of  the  full  meaning  of  this  fre- 
quent benediction,  or  how  much  the  divine  presence  is 
needed  by  both  alike  ! 

When  each  reflects  upon  the  condition  of  the  other, 
we  think  that  we  can  appreciate  the  sorrows  of  the 
slave ;  but  we  cannot  counterbalance  these  with  the 
bliss  which  springs  from  ignorance  and  from  the  ex- 
uberance of  mere  animal  life.. 

On  the  other  hand,  while  the  slave  must  often  look 
upon  the  white  man  with  envy,  —  chiefly  because  he  is 
better  fed  and  clothed,  and  has  less  labor  to  perform 
than  himself,  —  how  very  far  he  is  from  any  possible 
sympathy  with  the  woes  which  civilization  entails ! 
— disappointed  ambition,  unrequited  affection,  society's 
poisonous  breath  of  slander,  loss  of  property,  the  fruit 
of  that  very  tree  of  knowledge  which  we  are  all  so 
anxious  to  reach,  and  which,  when  attained,  so  often 
disagrees  with  our  mental  digestion,  sometimes  chan- 
ging the  faith  of  childhood  to  scepticism  in  maturer 
years ;  even  the  wisdom  which  grasps  "  star-eyed 
Science,"  receiving  in  return  her  "  message  of  de- 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  85 

spair ! "  Is  freedom  from  all  this  misery  nothing  to 
set  off  against  the  white  man's  superiority?  And  of 
these  evils  how  little  does  the  slave  know  in  his  own 
person !  Therefore  it  is  that  he  pities  us  as  little  as 
we  envy  him. 

God  be  with  us  all,  and  give  us  all  His  greatest 
blessing  —  contentment !  for  most  assuredly  it  cannot 
be  otherwise  than  that  happiness  and  misery  are  equi- 
tably distributed,  according  to  our  capacity  for  enjoy- 
ment-or  suffering. 

It  was  a  delightful  morning,  but  the  sun  was  already 
blazing  far  up  in  the  eastern  sky,  so  that  we  could  not 
see  all  that  we  wished  with  comfort.  But  we  were 
satisfied  that  our  enterprising  friend  deserves  and  will 
attain  success. 

His  system  of  labor  is  different  from  that  of  the 
good  philanthropist  of  Rhodeo.  His  negroes  are 
literally  "  worked,"  his  theory  being  that,  as  labor 
is  their  condition,  the  greatest  amount  of  work  com- 
patible with  their  health  and  fair  endurance,  is  to  be 
got  from  them.  With  this  end  in  view,  there  is  a 
judicious  distribution  of  rewards  and  punishments. 
A  sufficiency  of  rest  and  of  time  for  meals  is  allowed, 
and  Sundays  and  certain  holidays  are  their  own,  but 
laziness  is  not  encouraged  in  any  shape.  The  result 
of  this  treatment,  combined  with  an  active  super- 
intendence, is,  that  this  plantation  "  pays,"  while  that 


86  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

of  Dr.  Gunning  and  that  of  Santa  Cruz,  which  we 
afterwards  visited,  do  not ;  and  there  is  unmistakably 
a  better  and  a  happier  look  among  the  negroes  of  Mr. 
Hayes  than  among  the  others. 

As  we  rode  homeward,  towards  noon,  we  were  sin- 
cerely glad  that  there  had  not  yet  been  found  time  to 
cut  down  the  forest  trees  ;  and  it  must  be  confessed  that 
the  breakfast-table  was  one  of  the  very  pleasantest  of 
our  morning  views. 

In  the  evening  we  were  called  out  to  see  the  negroes, 
of  whom  there  were  one  hundred  and  thirty,  of  both 
sexes  and  all  ages,  at  supper.  We  had  dined  sump- 
tuously, and  our  dinner  had  been  moistened  by  the 
flow  of  pleasant  conversation,  as  well  as  by  that  of 
champagne.  These  negroes  were  feeding  on  carne 
seca  and  farinha,  enormous  quantities  of  which  they 
washed  down  with  cold  water.  As  they  sat  upon 
their  haunches  on  the  bare  ground,  their  huge  mouth- 
fuls  were  constantly  interrupted  by  guffaws  of  laughter, 
the  tops  of  their  cocoa-nuts  falling  backwards,  and 
their  unswallowed  food  seeming  to  lie  in  a  deep  ebony 
dish  with  ivory  borders. 

And  yet,  poor  devils,  you  are  but  little  more  than 
brutes,  as  you  seem  to  us  !  But  to-morrow  is  Sunday. 
You  will  put  on  a  few  clean  white  rags,  and  you  will 
wear  gay  red  and  yellow  turbans,  and  ribbons  of  all 
colors.  You  will  drink  caxache,  if  you  can  get  it ; 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  87 

at  any  rate,  you  will  dance  and  be  jolly.  We  shall 
talk,  read,  and  swing  in  our  hammocks.  We  will  all 
be  happy  —  will  we  not?  —  in  our  way.  On  Monday 
you  shall  take  up  the  shovel  and  the  hoe,  and  trudge  to 
the  cane-fields.  We  shall  go  to  town  and  be  plagued 
by  our  business.  We  shall  all  go  to  our  work,  and 
have  a  hard  time  —  shall  we  not?  —  in  our  way. 


88 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Cultivation  of  Mandioca.  —  Its  Importance  to  Brazil.  — Pro- 
cess of  Manufacturing  it.  —  An  old  Roman  Catholic 
Chapel.  —  Negro  Worship  therein.  —  Muscular  Piety.  — 
Barbarous  versus  Fashionable  Devotions.  —  Return  to  the 
City. 

AFTER  all  that  may  be  said  of  coffee,  sugar,  and 
cotton,  mandioca  is  the  most  important  pro- 
duction of  Brazil,  for  by  it  the  whole  people  live.  In 
some  of  its  various  shapes  it  is  always  on  the  table  of 
the  rich  and  the  poor.  The  root  of  this  exceedingly 
prolific  plant  externally  resembles  the  sweet  potato,  or 
the  yam.  Its  vine  is  like  a  bush,  and  grows  to  the 
height  of  several  feet. 

When  eaten  raw,  the  mandioca  root  is  poisonous  ; 
but  when  boiled,  it  is  wholesome  and  palatable.  Thus 
it  is  used  in  the  everlasting  olla  podrida  of  carne 
seca,  lard,  and  black  beans.  But  its  general  use  is  in 
the  shape  of  farinha,  which  is  made  after  the  juice  is 
expressed. 

On  entering  the  shed  where  the  negroes  were  at 
work,  we  saw  the  first  process  of  grinding  the  root  in 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  89 

an  ordinary  mill.  All  the  juice  obtained  by  this 
means  was  conducted  into  a  vat.  A  great  deal  more 
was  afterwards  extracted  by  squeezing  the  pulp  in  a 
machine  precisely  like  a  cider-press.  The  remainder 
was  then  dried  in  an  oven,  and  afterwards  broken  and 
sifted.  The  coarse  flour  thus  obtained  is  called 
farinha.  It.  is  used  without  further  cooking,  serving 
the  place  of  bread  upon  the  table  ;  and  it  is  moreover 
made  into  a  thick  porridge,  and  thus  eaten  at  all  times. 
The  juice  is  first  converted  into  starch,  and  then,  by  a 
heating  process,  is  hardened  and  granulated,  and  so 
becomes  tapioca. 

On  Sunday  morning  the  chapel  bell  called  the  ne- 
groes to  worship.  Certainly  the  church  of  Sapo- 
pemba  was  of  the  independent  order.  In  old  Portu- 
guese times,  the  baronial  lords  of  these  domains  were 
aristocrats  in  religion  as  well  as  in  all  else.  Then  the 
chapel  had  the  usual  fittings  of  images,  pictures, 
and  silver  candlesticks,  and  a  chaplain  conducted 
services  according  to  the  ritual  of  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic church.  But  the  riches  of  the  proprietors  took  to 
themselves  wings  and  flew  away,  and  they  themselves 
are  mouldering  under  the  slabs  of  the  chapel  floor, 
where  they  cannot  see  the  desecration  over  their 
heads. 

The  pictures  and  ornaments  are  gone,  but  the  saints 
in  the  niches  still  hold  on,  without  arms  and  without 


90  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

legs  ;  and  a  faded  figure  of  the  Virgin,  now  dressed  in 
gay  Ethiopian  mode,  still  presides  at  the  altar.  For 
years  there  had  been  no  religious  services. 

The  present  occupant  of  the  fazenda,  a  descendant 
of  those  whose  boast  it  was  that  they  came  to  New 
England  for  the  sake  of  religious  freedom,  cannot 
conscientiously  do  otherwise  than  allow  this  same 
inestimable  privilege  to  his  negroes.  So  they  have 
organized  a  church  of  their  own,  and  have  chosen  a 
priest  from  their  own  number.  No  bishop  ever  laid 
his  hands  on  the  pate  of  this  venerable  Uncle  Ned ; 
nor  are  his  vestments  of  the  approved  priestly  pat- 
tern. His  change  from  a  secular  to  a  clerical  cos- 
tume was  made  by  simply  wearing  his  shirt  outside  of 
his  trousers.  This  style,  with  the  addition  of  a  large 
black  handkerchief  around  his  neck,  sufficiently  dis- 
tinguished him  from  the  congregation. 

The  services  were  opened  by  a  general  shout,  and 
then  a  long,  silent  prostration  of  all  hands  upon  the 
floor.  Then,  at  a  signal  from  Uncle  Ned,  about  a  hun- 
dred blackbirds  arose  at  once,  as  if  from  a  cover,  and 
commenced  a  chattering  song,  which  must  have  been 
first  sung  in  their  native  wilds.  Sitting  upon  their 
haunches,  which  favorite  position  they  have  assumed 
as  an  innovation  upon  kneeling,  they  clapped  their 
hands,  wagged  their  heads,  and  rolled  their  eyeballs 
to  this  savage  melody.  The  words  were  African,  with 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  91 

the  exception  of  the  chorus  of  "Sancta  Maria,  ora  pro 
nobis." 

The  clergyman  managed  his  part  easily,  without 
the  aid  of  books.  After  the  conclusion  of  this  act,  he 
crossed  himself  in  every  direction,  whirling  about  like 
a  dervish,  then  threw  himself  down,  and  rose  again 
with  an  elasticity  evincing  an  acquaintance  with  "  leap- 
frog "  in  his  younger  days. 

Music  again,  and  that  always  vocal,  while  the 
congregation,  standing,  beat  time  both  with  hands  and 
feet,  like  David  "  praising  God  in  the  dance."  Why 
not?  It  is  His  appointed  way  to  receive  homage  from 
these  poor  ignorant  creatures.  When  their  uncouth 
ceremonies  were  ended,  they  rushed  out  upon  the 
green,  yelling  and  tumbling  over  one  another,  in  a 
very  indiscriminate  way.  But  the  turbaned  wenches, 
who  displayed  extra  finery,  were  "  upon  dignity," 
or  they  feared  to  injure  their  toilets.  In  some  in- 
stances these  were  quite  elaborate,  and  their  wool 
was  braided  and  kinked  d  la  Mozambique.  Some  of 
the  mulatto  girls  were  still  more  barbarous,  for  they 
carried  behind  their  heads  those  unnatural  excres- 
cences termed  "  waterfalls." 

We  thought  of  the  liveried  coachmen  and  footmen, 
and  the  splendid  equipages,  waiting  at  the  door  of 
an  "  upper-tendom  "  Church,  —  of  the  fashionable 
ladies  sailing  out  with  gilt  prayer-books  in  hand,  as 


92  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

they  enter  the  carriages  to  go  home,  with  such  "  sim- 
plicity and  godly  sincerity,"  talking  of  what  they  had 
seen,  instead  of  what  they  had  heard.  Why  not?  It 
may  be  His  appointed  way,  likewise,  for  them  to  wor- 
ship, for  they  seem  to  know  no  better. 

Dispersing  on  the  green,  the  negroes  went  their 
way,  some  to  their  quarters,  while  others  strolled  into 
the  road  and  went  to  visit  their  acquaintances  on  other 
plantations.  They  are  accustomed  to  walk  many 
miles  to  pay  their  visits  on  Sundays,  notwithstanding 
their  hard  labor  during  the  week.  On  the  following 
day  we  returned  to  the  city,  delighted  with  our  ex- 
cursion, and  grateful  for  the  kindness  and  hospitality 
with  which  we  had  been  entertained. 


93 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Wearisome  Monotony.  —  Visit  to  an  Imperial  Domain. — 
History  of  the  Estate.  —  Incidents  of  the  Journey. —  Hard 
Supper  and  harder  Beds.  —  A  Morning  Ride.  —  Golden 
Fruit.  —  The  Estate  of  Santa  Cruz.  —  The  Emperor's 
Wines.  —  Bad  Economy.  —  Splendid  View  from  the  Dome* 
—  Inspection  of  the  Palace. 

THE  variety  afforded  by  occasional  visits  to  the 
country  was  a  relief  to  the  tediousness  of  a 
life  which  was  becoming  very  monotonous. 

The  novelty  of  coast  scenery  had  worn  off,  and 
the  mountain  landmarks,  losing  much  of  their  sub- 
limity, were  regarded  as  little  more  than  aids  to  navi- 
gation. The  same  classes  of  passengers  were  going 
and  coming,  a  further  acquaintance  with  their  lan- 
guage not  improving  our  estimate  of  their  character ; 
and,  worse  than  all,  the  freighting  business  became  so 
dull  that  it  was  often  less  unprofitable  for  the  steamer 
to  lie  still  than  to  be  employed. 

So  it  happened  that  I  was  quite  ready  to  join  two 
captains  of  the  American  squadron,  with  some  other 


94  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

gentlemen,  who  had  planned  an  excursion  to  the 
imperial  fazenda  of  Santa  Cruz. 

Santa  Cruz  is  now  the  private  property  of  the 
emperor.  It  originally  belonged  to  the  Jesuits,  who, 
at  an  early  period  in  the  history  of  the  country,  ob- 
tained a  grant  of  this  immense  domain  from  the 
Portuguese  government.  On  a  rising  ground  in 
its  centre  they  built  the  present  edifice,  which,  with 
its  various  extensive  apartments,  served  them  for  all 
their  religious,  educational,  and  secular  purposes,  of 
which  last  they  made  no  little  account. 

When  the  grandfather  of  the  present  emperor  es- 
tablished his  court  in  Brazil,  he  found  the  Jesuits  a 
strong  antagonistic  power,  and  accordingly  he  drove 
them  out  of  the  country,  and  confiscated  their  property. 

Among  other  large  possessions,  this  fazenda  of 
Santa  Cruz,  with  all  its  improvements,  slaves,  and 
cattle,  fell  into  his  hands.  It  was  then,  and  for  a  long 
time  afterwards,  an  immensely  productive  estate,  the 
land  being  rich,  adapted  to  pasturage  and  the  raising 
of  every  variety  of  produce.  It  is  agreeably  diversi- 
fied by  rolling  country,  meadows,  hills,  and  woodland, 
and  nothing  can  be  imagined  as  offering  better  in- 
ducements for  profitable  cultivation.  The  Jesuits  had 
also  a  due  regard  to  health,  and  must  have  taken 
this  important  consideration  into  account  in  selecting 
Santa  Cruz  as  their  place  of  residence. 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  95 

Old  King  Joao  availed  himself  of  all  these  advan- 
tages, and  not  only  enjoyed  an  enormous  revenue 
from  the  confiscated  lands,  but  so  improved  the  inter- 
nal arrangements  of  the  building,  that  he  made  for 
himself  a  spacious  and  comfortable  palace.  Here, 
sensible  old  king  that  he  was,  he  passed  most  of 
his  time,  until  he  went  home  again  to  Portugal. 

His  son,  Pedro  L,  the  first  emperor  of  Brazil,  like- 
wise lived  here  very  comfortably,  and  derived  many 
milreas  from  the  sweat  of  the  negroes  and  the  hides 
and  tallow  of  the  cattle. 

When  the  present  emperor  ascended  the  throne,  he, 
too,  delighted  in  Santa  Cruz.  Here  his  first  children 
were  born ;  but  here,  also,  his  first-born  little  prince 
died  ;  and  from  that  day,  very  many  years  ago,  neither 
the  emperor  nor  the  empress  has  entered  the  doors 
of  the  palace. 

This,  in  a  few  words,  is  the  history,  as  it  was  told 
us,  of  Santa  Cruz. 

The  distance  of  the  fazenda  from  Rio  de  Janeiro  is 
about  fifty  miles.  In  former  times,  when  it  was  a 
royal  residence,  it  was  connected  with  the  city  by  a 
good  carriage  road,  which  at  present  is  sadly  out 
of  repair,  and  for  the  last  few  miles  has  dwindled 
down  to  little  better  than  a  bridle  path. 

The  first  part  of  the  journey  is  made  by  railroad. 
We  left  the  cars  at  Sapopemba,  whence  the  diligence 


96  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

conveyed  us  six  miles  to  Campo  Grande,  a  small  vil- 
lage with  a  large  name.  According  to  the  literal 
meaning  of  the  words,  it  is  in  a  "  large  field."  The 
public  buildings  consist  of  one  church,  and  the  private 
property  of  one  venda.  The  inhabitants  are  many 
—  the  landlord,  his  wife,  two  or  three  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, and  millions  of  fleas. 

We  ordered  a  supper  of  boiled  eggs,  for  these  are 
the  only  articles  of  food  that  a  Brazilian  cook  cannot 
spoil.  Grease  and  garlic  cannot  penetrate  the  shells. 
But  even  eggs  are  unreliable.  These  people  have  no 
idea  of  a  difference  in  them,  but  they  use  them  in  all 
conditions  of  age,  and  sometimes  in  the  transition 
stage  of  being.  Coffee  is  always  good,  and  generally 
at  the  vendas  hard  biscuit  is  to  be  had.  Rice  is 
abundant,  but  no  persuasion  will  prevent  the  cooks 
from  flavoring  it  with  lard  and  garlic :  unfortunately, 
it  cannot  be  boiled  in  a  shell. 

We  managed  the  supper  pretty  well ;  and  though  it 
was  inclined  to  "  lie  hard  upon  our  stomachs,"  it  did 
not  lie  so  hard  as  our  backs  lay  upon  the  beds,  which 
were  surely  spread  with  boiler  iron  sheets.  We  would 
not  have  cared  so  much  if  they  had  been  level.  It  was 
of  the  ridges,  which  lay  across  them  like  crow-bars, 
that  we  complained. 

At  night  the  population  came  out  en  masse,  de- 
lighted to  welcome  us  with  the  gayest  hop-skip-and- 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  97 

jump  imaginable.  It  will  be  remembered  that  sailors 
seldom  swear ;  but  on  this  memorable  night  there 
were  certainly  some  expressions  of  impatience. 

Morning  dawned  upon  us  not  a  whit  too  soon. 
After  the  refreshment  of  a  bath  at  the  fountain,  that 
partly  compensated  for  the  want  of  sleep,  we  were  on 
horseback  at  daylight,  prepared  for  a  ride  of  twenty- 
eight  miles.  It  is  thought  that  sailors  do  not  appear 
to  advantage  on  horseback ;  but  we  suffered  less  than 
in  those  detestable  beds,  and,  being  more  accustomed 
to  deprivation  of  sleep  than  our  companions,  we  were 
fresher  for  the  work,  and  "blew"  them  all  in  the 
course  of  the  day. 

We  galloped  off  the  first  twelve  miles  before  break- 
fast, and  arrived  at  another  little  village,  called  San 
Antonio.  While  our  meal  was  preparing,  we  walked 
out  into  the  orchard  belonging  to  the  venda.  It  was  a 
perfect  little  forest  of  orange  trees  in  full  bearing,  for 
it  was  then  the  height  of  the  season.  A  more  beauti- 
ful intermingling  of  gold  and  green  I  never  saw.  The 
dew  of  the  morning,  yet  upon  the  fruit,  gave  it  a  re- 
freshing coolness,  such  as  no  orange  can  have  even  a 
few  hours  after  being  gathered,  much  less  after  being 
carried  across  the  sea.  There  are  no  better  oranges 
in  the  world  than  those  of  Brazil ;  and  it  seemed  to 
us  dusty  and  thirsty  travellers,  that  none  in  Brazil 
could  equal  those  of  San  Antonio. 

7 


98  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

After  breakfast  we  continued  our  route.  Fortu- 
nately the  road  was  well  shaded,  protecting  us  from 
the  sun,  even  at  noonday.  The  ground  was  gen- 
erally level,  and  easily  got  over.  Much  of  it  was 
pasturage,  with  here  and  there  a  small  fazenda.  Most 
of  the  land  had  been  cultivated  in  former  years,  but 
was  now  run  out,  the  planters  caring  very  little  about 
keeping  it  up.  The  soil,  being  generally  thin,  is  soon 
exhausted ;  and  as  there  is  plenty  more  to  be  had, 
they  seldom  take  the  trouble  to  restore  it  by  manuring. 
Orange  •  orchards  abounded  by  the  roadside.  The 
fruit  was  to  be  had  for  the  asking.  Even  that  cere- 
mony was  dispensed  with,  the  trees  themselves  doubly 
inviting  us  as  we  availed  ourselves  of  their  shade,  pay- 
ing us  with  their  golden  offerings  to  rest  beneath  them. 

Long  before  arriving  at  Santa  Cruz  we  sighted  the 
dome  of  the  palace,  and  by  and  bye  we  came  to  the 
long  avenue  along  which  the  chariot  of  old  King  Joao 
was  wont  to  roll.  Now,  it  is  so  badly  washed  by  the 
rains,  that  majesty,  or  any  kind  of  humanity,  would 
be  seriously  inconvenienced  to  get  over  it  on  wheels. 
But  our  animals,  smelling  the  stables  afar  off,  cleared 
the  big  boulders  at  a  rapid  pace,  and  at  four  o'clock 
they  brought  us  to  the  door  of  the  hotel.  It  is  really 
a  hotel,  and  a  very  nice  one,  too,  that  is  kept  by  the 
superintendent  of  the  fazenda. 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  99 

Having  first  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  bath,  we  were 
served  with  a  capital  dinner ;  and,  as  I  do  not  sup- 
pose the  emperor  will  ever  read  this,  it  can  harm  no 
one  to  say  that  the  wine  was  excellent,  for  the  palace 
cellars  are  well  stocked,  though  his  Majesty  never 
comes  hither,  and  would  never  drink  wine  if  he  did. 

Pedro  II.  is  a  poor  economist.  He  receives  four 
hundred  thousand  dollars  per  annum  from  the  state, 
besides  his  own  private  income,  and  yet  he  is  always 
as  poor  as  he  is  generous.  A  great  deal  too  much  does 
his  "  chanty  begin  at  home."  With  his  revenue  he 
keeps  up  several  establishments  —  his  chief  residences 
are  at  San  Christovao,  the  city  palace,  and  at  Petrop- 
olis.  Each  of  them,  as  well  as  this  fazenda  of 
Santa  Cruz,  has  its  attaches  in  greater  or  less  num- 
ber, for  whom  he  must  provide.  But  it  is  certainly 
requiring  too  much  to  ask  him  to  furnish  such  choice 
wines,  especially  if  they  are  to  be  sold  as  well  as 
used. 

The  fazenda  is  the  nucleus  of  a  small  town.  One 
of  the  chief  buildings  is  that  of  our  landlord.  Others 
are  occupied  by  his  deputies,  the  superintendents  of 
different  departments.  The  smaller  houses,  in  long 
adobe  blocks,  are  inhabited  by  negroes,  bond  and  free. 
The  scene  was  quite  lively  in  the  evening.  Music  and 
dancing  were  going  on  in  various  quarters,  the  bright 


TOO  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

moonlight  giving  a  very  picturesque  appearance  to 
the  groups  of  negroes. 

Early  on  the  next  morning  the  palace  was  thrown 
open  for  inspection.  Our  first  thought  was  to  ascend 
the  long  ranges  of  staircases  leading  to  the  dome  or 
belfry,  whence  we  were  sure  to  obtain  a  comprehen- 
sive view  of  the  country.  Every  other  consideration 
of  it  was  surpassed  by  its  beauty. 

As  we  looked  eastward,  the  sun  was  just  rising, 
throwing  his  rays  across  the  plains  over  which  we 
had  travelled  yesterday.  We  were  embayed  in  the 
mountains.  The  Serra,  generally  running  north  and 
south,  about  thirty  miles  from  the  coast,  here  bends, 
like  an  ox-bow,  to  the  westward,  and  then  returning  to 
its  line,  continues  its  course.  In  the  south-east  was  the 
ocean,  glistening  like  a  mirror  in  the  morning  light. 
The  lands  of  the  fazenda  were  embraced  in  the  bight 
formed  by  the  bend  of  the  Serra.  Far  away  in  the 
distance,  from  west  to  north,  and  thence  to  north-east, 
extend  the  plains  and  meadows,  until  they  come  to  the 
base  of  the  mountains,  which  look  down  upon  them, 
and  water  them  copiously  with  their  streams.  On 
these  the  sun  now  threw  his  light,  bringing  them 
seemingly  nearer,  so  that  we  could  trace  them  leap- 
ing over  the  cliffs  before  they  attained  their  quiet  level 
in  the  fields.  There  on  their  banks  were  feeding  the 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  IOI 

immense  droves  of  cattle  that  run  wild  over  most  of 
the  estate.  Certain  districts  are  allotted  to  planta- 
tions ;  but  by  far  the  greater  part  is  in  undisturbed 
possession  of  the  grass,  and  of  the  animals  feeding 
upon  it. 

The  negroes  were  beginning  to  crawl  out  from  their 
quarters,  and  were  travelling  off  at  a  slow  pace  to 
their  labor  on  various  parts  of  the  farm. 

Descending  from  the  dome,  we  wandered  through 
the  apartments  of  the  palace.  These  were  large  and 
airy,  without  any  pretensions  to  splendor,  or  even  to 
what  we  call  comfort  in  our  colder  climate.  Some 
of  the  floors  were  covered  with  carpets,  which,  so  little 
used  as  they  are,  will  long  defy  the  ravages  of  time, 
as  they  have  done  thus  far.  The  furniture  was  all 
of  foreign  manufacture.  Part  of  it  doubtless  belonged 
to  the  original  proprietors  of  the  fazenda,  and  all  of 
it  must  have  been  brought  from  Europe  many  years 
ago.  High-backed  chairs  with  faded  gilding,  toilet 
and  card  tables  with  spindle  shanks,  long-posted 
bedsteads,  great  oval  mirrors  with  tawdry  decorations, 
and  many  more  such  evidences  of  antiquity,  occupied 
the  rooms.  The  banqueting  hall  was  the  unaltered 
refectory  of  the  Jesuits,  and  their  immense  kitchen 
required  no  change. 

One  room  is  sacredly  guarded  from  the  intrusion  of 


IO2  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

strangers ;  only  the  door  was  opened,  that  we  might 
see  the  bed  whereon  died  the  little  prince.  Perhaps 
his  parents  believe  the  story  that  he  was  poisoned, 
and  this  may  account  for  their  aversion  to  the  place. 
Not  an  article  of  the  furniture  of  the  room  has  been 
disturbed  since  the  sad  event ;  not  even  has  broom  or 
dusting  brush  been  there. 


io3 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

The  Imperial  Philanthropist.  —  Giving  the  Black  Man  a  fair 
Chance.  —  School  of  Negro  Children.  —  Music  by  a  Juve- 
nile Band.  — Compensations  in  Life.  — Failure  of  the  Santa 
Cruz  Experiment.  — A  Sanitary  Scheme.  —  The  Emperor's 
Obstinacy.  —  Cultivation  of  Tea  in  Brazil.  —  Fruit  Gar- 
dens. 

THE  emperor  is  trying  a  grand  philanthropic  ex- 
periment at  Santa  Cruz,  on  a  system  somewhat 
different  from  that  of  Rhodeo,  vastly  more  extensive, 
but  unsuccessful  in  about  the  same  proportion.  At 
Rhodeo  there  are  thirty-five  negroes  —  here  there  are 
two  thousand  four  hundred.  In  his  way  the  emperor 
proposes  to  "  give  the  black  man  a  fair  chance."  The 
slaves  are  allowed  Saturdays,  Sundays,  and  all  the 
principal  holidays  for  their  own  time.  According  to 
a  calculation  of  the  superintendent,  they  thus  have 
rather  more  than  half  the  year  to  themselves.  Instead 
of  being  fed  by  their  owner,  they  have  a  daily  allow- 
ance in  money,  according  to  age,  sufficient  for  their 
support.  Particular  attention  is  given  to  the  educa- 
tion of  the  children. 


104  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

Passing  down  the  grand  staircase,  we  entered  the 
basement,  which  is  used  as  a  school-room.  At  that 
early  hour  it  was  not  occupied  by  the  pupils  for  study, 
but  a  band  of  thirty  or  forty  of  them,  of  ages  varying 
from  six  to  sixteen,  saluted  us  with  music  which 
would  have  been  creditable  to  many  an  orchestra. 
They  played  the  national  airs  of  Brazil,  the  United 
States,  England,  and  France,  and  several  pieces  of 
their  own  composition.  One  little  darkey,  of  eight 
years,  made  a  very  comical  figure  under  the  lee  of 
an  enormous  bass  drum,  upon  which  he  played  with 
great  dexterity,  keeping  time,  as  all  did,  with  his 
eyeballs.  Music  is  the  negro's  inherent  gift.  When 
we  think  of  his  sufferings  and  degradation,  we  may 
offset  a  little  of  our  sympathy  by  remembering  that  he 
always  has  this  divine  emotion  :  — 

"  Whose  soft,  celestial  accents  steal 

So  soothing  through  the  realms  of  woe, 
That  suffering  souls  a  respite  feel 
From  torture  in  the  depths  below." 

Be  this  true  or  not,  music  is  no  slight  alleviation  to 
the  woes  of  the  present  life.  Happy  the  man  who 
can  always  call  upon  this  constant  friend  ;  happy  the 
negro  who  can  whistle  and  sing  at  his  work,  and 
dance  to  music  when  his  work  is  done ! 

There  are  several  teachers  employed  in  the  school, 


TEN  MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  IO5 

some  of  them  priests.  They  seemed  very  intelligent, 
and  devoted  to  the  work  in  which  they  are  engaged. 
Their  observation  corresponded  with  that  of  the  teach- 
ers we  met  at  Hilton  Head  during  the  war.  They 
say  that  the  young  black  children  receive  impressions 
more  readily  than  the  whites ;  that  they  are  better 
scholars,  and  develop  more  rapidly  up  to  a  certain 
age,  when  they  suddenly  stop,  and  not.  unfrequently 
relapse  into  their  former  barbarism. 

The  men  and  women  are  employed  in  various 
duties  about  the  estate.  Many  of  them  have  the  care 
of  the  cattle,  of  which  there  are  eight  thousand  head, 
besides  horses,  mules,  and  sheep.  Others  are  em- 
ployed in  agriculture  and  gardening,  and  many  are 
hired  by  the  neighboring  planters.  But  there  is  a 
prejudice  against  Santa  Cruz  negroes,  and  they  are 
employed  only  when  other  labor  cannot  be  obtained. 
Mr.  Hayes,  at  Sapopemba,  says  that  they  have  been 
very  unprofitable  to  him,  as  they  teach  laziness  to  his 
own  people. 

Notwithstanding  all  their  religious  and  educational 
privileges,  they  are  a  bad  set.  The  plan  of  giving 
them  an  allowance  for  food  does  not  seem  to  answer 
well.  They  keep  the  money,  and  then  dig  their 
mandioca  and  yams  out  of  the  emperor's  land ;  they 
kill  his  cattle,  and  occasionally,  when  they  are  inter- 
fered with  in  this  mode  of  getting  an  honest  living, 


106  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

they  kill  an  overseer.  Many  of  them  have  taken  to  a 
gipsey  life,  "  squatting  "  about  on  different  parts  of  the 
domain,  and,  if  disturbed,  hiding  themselves  in  the 
mountains. 

The  consequence  is,  that  this  exceedingly  valuable 
property,  instead  of  producing  an  immense  income,  is 
a  burden  and  expense  to  its  good-natured  owner. 

The  slaughter-houses  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  are  in  the 
outskirts  of  the  town,  so  that  when  the  wind  is  from 
their  direction  a  pestiferous  air  is  breathed  by  the 
people.  The  beef  that  is  daily  killed,  to  supply  the 
four  hundred  thousand  inhabitants  of  that  great  city, 
is  nearly  ready  to  die  before  the  slaughter  is  com- 
menced. The  poor,  tired  animals,  having  arrived 
only  the  previous  day  from  their  journey  of  hundreds 
of  miles,  starvation  and  the  flies  have  left  but  little 
life  in  them.  The  quality  of  the  meat  may  be 
imagined. 

It  is  said  that  corporations  have  no  souls ;  but  here 
is  one  that,  with  all  its  schemes  of  profit,  which  would 
doubtless  be  large,  has  more  genuine  philanthropy  in 
its  head  than  ever  entered  the  kind  heart  of  the  em- 
peror. It  proposes  to  hire  the  Santa  Cruz  estate, 
paying  for  it  from  one  to  two  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars yearly,  with  the  privilege  of  connecting  it  by  a 
branch  with  the  Dom  Pedro  II.  Railroad.  According 
to  this  plan,  the  slaughter-houses  near  the  city  would 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  IC>7 

be  discontinued  ;  all  the  cattle  from  the  country  would 
be  first  driven  hither,  and  pastured  till  they  are  fat- 
tened; then  they  would  be  slaughtered,  and  an  ex- 
press train  would  take  the  meat  to  the  city  in  an  hour. 
But  the  emperor  will  not  consent.  So  much  the 
worse  for  everybody.  Were  this  scheme  carried  out, 
much  sickness  would  be  avoided ;  nearly  half  a  mil- 
lion of  people  would  get  good  meat  daily,  instead  of 
skin  and  bones ;  immense  droves  of  cattle  would 
have  an  elysium  of  green  grass  before  their  death ; 
capitalists  would  invest  their  money  profitably  for 
themselves  and  for  the  public ;  and  the  benefits 
would  be  great  and  general.  By  the  emperor's  re- 
fusal, all  these  advantages  and  a  princely  income  are 
thrown  away,  and  twenty-four  hundred  negroes  are 
kept  in  laziness,  for  the  sake  of  an  experiment. 

Several  years  ago,  when  the  production  of  coffee 
exceeded  the  wants  of  the  world,  the  Brazilian  gov- 
ernment turned  its  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  tea, 
and  incurred  no  little  trouble  and  expense  in  introdu- 
cing it  among  the  planters.  For  a  while  it  flourished, 
and  great  hopes  were  entertained  that  it  would  become 
an  important  article  of  export.  But  notwithstanding 
the  high  duties  on  Chinese  tea,  the  cultivation  of  the 
domestic  plant  has  fallen  off,  so  that  the  home  supply 
forms  but  a  small  part  of  the  consumption.  Coffee 
had  again  taken  a  start,  for  all  the  world  suddenly 


IOS  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

began  to  require  more  of  it  than  ever  before.  Accord- 
ingly the  tea-plant  withered  and  died.  There  is  still, 
however,  a  large  plantation  of  it  at  this  fazenda,  and 
it  is  perhaps  as  profitable  as  any  other  crop  raised 
upon  it.  Especial  care  is  taken  in  curing  it,  and  it  has 
a  high  reputation  throughout  the  country.  We  were 
served  with  some  of  it  for  breakfast,  and  it  really 
seemed  equal  to  the  "  celestial  flowery  pekoe,"  which 
old  Houqua  poured  out  for  us  at  his  hong  in  Canton, 
years  ago. 

Oranges,  lemons,  grapes,  and  strawberries  abound- 
ed in  the  gardens.  We  were  told  that  these  were  for 
the  imperial  household.  If  so,  the  imperial  household 
is  large,  and  we  were  happy  to  be  included  in  it  for  a 
time.  So  we  cheerfully  paid  our  landlord's  bill,  "  ask- 
ing no  questions  for  conscience'  sake,"  but  acknowl- 
edging our  indirect  indebtedness  to  the  emperor  for 
the  pleasant  trip,  and  for  the  many  good  things  to  be 
had  at  Santa  Cruz. 


109 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Rival  Beauties  of  Nature.  —  Bays  of  Naples  and  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  —  Description  of  the  Latter.  —  Sublimity  of  a 
Thunder  Storm  in  the  Bay.  —  Ascent  of  Mountains  near 
Rio.  —  Adventure  of  two  British  Middies.  —  A  Shrewd 
Dentist.  —  Sharp  Practice.  —  Summer  Resorts. —  Route  to 
Petropolis.  — Pleasant  Illusion.  — A  Sea  of  Fog. 

THE  bays  of  Naples  and  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  are  the 
rival  beauties  of  the  world.  For  thousands  of 
years  there  was  none  to  dispute  the  supremacy  of  the 
first.  It  is  still  as  lovely  and  as  grand  as  ever,  for 
"  time  writes  no  wrinkle  on  its  azure  brow."  Cities, 
villas,  and  temples  still  sit  smiling  upon  its  shores,  and 
the  burning  mountain  at  night  throws  its  lurid  glare 
upon  its  waters,  changing  the  serene  sunlight  to  the 
almost  infernal  grandeur  of  illumined  shade.  All  these 
years  it  had  reigned  alone.  The  bay  of  Rio  de  Janei- 
ro, like  a  school  girl  kept  from  view,  was  blooming 
and  bright,  ready  to  u  come  out,"  as  she  has  done,  to 
eclipse  the  reigning  belle.  Now  that  they  are  both 
known  to  the  lovers  of  the  romantic  and  the  pictur- 
esque, the  western  rival  is  more  and  more  appreciated 


IIO  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

and  admired.  It  is  vain  to  institute  a  comparison 
between  them.  They  are  alike  neither  in  locality, 
shape,  nor  coloring;  only  in  the  general  undefined 
characteristic  of  beauty. 

To  one  coming  from  sea  by  night,  and  finding  him- 
self anchored  in  the  harbor  at  morning,  there  has 
been  a  loss  not  to  be  estimated  —  that  of  the  most 
sudden  change  from  Nature's  bold  sublimity  to  her 
softest  look  of  loveliness.  Most  voyagers  arrive  from 
the  north ;  but  those  are  most  fortunate  who  first  see 
the  entrance  of  the  bay  when  coming  from  the  south, 
where  the  coast  is  more  mountainous  and  abrupt. 
Steaming  along  under  these  towering  cliffs,  almost  in 
the  surf  which  beats  against  their  base,  there  is  no 
sign  of  habitation,  or  of  even  the  smallest  nook  for 
shelter,  —  nothing,  till,  suddenly  whirling  around,  the 
overhanging  "  Sugar  Loaf"  seems  ready  to  topple 
upon  us  from  its  height  of  two  thousand  feet.  Then 
appears,  on  the  opposite  side,  the  fort  of  Santa 
Cruz,  the  guardian  of  the  port,  between  which  and 
the  "  Sugar  Loaf "  is  the  narrow  channel.  Here, 
where  two  ships  can  scarcely  enter  side  by  side,  is 
the  entrance  to  a  bay  fifty  miles  in  circumference, 
with  the  great  city  seated  in  the  lap  of  its  verdant 
garden ;  all  else  —  its  islands,  shores,  and  mountain 
slopes  —  dressed  in  summer's  never-fading  color.  It 
is  only  at  the  harbor's  mouth  that  the  mountains  ap- 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  Ill 

proach  the  shore.  There,  they  stand  as  outposts. 
Within  the  bay,  they  recede  for  ten  or  twenty  miles, 
keeping  guard  beyond  the  garden  spread  out  at  their 
base. 

But,  at  times,  what  a  change  comes  over  this 
quiet  scene !  Vesuvius,  with  all  its  forces  of  fire, 
cannot  hold  us  in  such  wonder  and  realization  of 
sublimity.  No  description  can  portray  a  thunder 
storm  in  this  bay  —  none  but  that  in  Byron's  thrilling 
words,  when  he  stood  upon  the  banks  of  Lake  Le- 
man,  and  saw,  and  heard,  the  "  live  thunder. "  So  it 
plays  and  echoes  here.  Not  losing  itself,  as  in  the 
Alps,  and  becoming  silent  in  the  far  distance,  —  it  goes 
from  mountain  to  mountain ;  not  across,  but  around 
the  whole  circuit.  Now  it  bursts  with  startling  crash, 
echoing  loud,  then  faint,  and  fainter  still,  till  it  has 
reached  the  distant  "  Organ  peaks ;  "  then,  leaping 
from  one  summit  to  another,  it  comes  back  again 
along  the  chain  on  the  other  side  of  the  bay,  and  at 
last  dies  away  on  the  shores  of  the  sea. 

The  black  clouds  seem  to  have  climbed  up  the 
mountains  from  their  slopes  beyond,  and  now  roll 
over  upon  the  plains  in  bodies  of  water,  coming  in 
big  drops,  then  in  streams,  and  at  last  in  cataracts. 

Suddenly,  more  suddenly  than  the  storm  came, 
does  it  pass  away.  The  sun  bursts  forth  with  re- 
newed splendor,  and  almost  instantly  the  glistening 


112  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

tears  of  Nature  are  dried,  and  she  smiles  again,  as 
fresh  and  joyous  as  ever. 

At  a  short  distance  from  the  city  is  the  Tijuca 
Mountain,  which,  from  its  easy  access,  is  one  of  the 
favorite  resorts  for  summer.  The  railroad  ends  at  the 
base  of  the  hill,  and  thence  the  ascent  is  made  on 
horseback.  Bennett's  hotel  is  reached  in  little  more 
than  an  hour  from  the  city.  Beyond  is  a  very  cele- 
brated cascade,  which,  unfortunately,  at  the  time  of 
our  visit,  was  deficient  in  the  most  important  requi- 
site for  a  cascade ;  yet  the  little  straggling  streams 
were  playing  over  the  great,  smooth  rock,  which  was 
generally  the  floor  for  the  dancing  of  a  large  and  noisy 
company  of  waters. 

The  Corcovado  (or  Hunchback)  is  often  ascended. 
From  its  crest  can  be  taken  in,  at  one  view,  a  fine 
panorama  of  the  bay.  The  excursion  is  made  by  the 
romantic  on  moonlight  nights,  in  order  to  be  ready  to 
see  the  sun  rise.  Practical  people,  too,  who  wish  to 
avoid  the  heat,  often  adopt  this  method.  It  requires 
but  a  few  hours  to  "do "  the  Corcovado ;  so  it  was 
one  of  the  things  to  be  done  "  at  any  time,"  and  con- 
sequently one  of  the  things  we  never  did. 

The  "Sugar  Loaf"  is  so  nearly  perpendicular  that 
its  ascent  is  very  rarely  attempted.  Some  years  ago, 
two  midshipmen  of  a  British  frigate,  wishing  to  honor 
Her  Majesty's  birthday,  started  on  the  evening  before, 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  113 

and  ascended  the  Sugar  Loaf  by  moonlight,  carrying 
a  flag  and  staff  with  them.  In  the  morning  the  Eng- 
lish flag  was  seen  flying  at  the  staff  on  the  very  pin- 
nacle, while  the  two  scratched  and  bruised  middies 
were  reposing  from  their  labors  on  the  sick  list.  The 
admiral  had  heard  of  their  exploit,  and  sent  for  them 
to  come  to  his  cabin.  The  boys  were  at  first  much 
elated  by  his  compliments  upon  their  patriotism  and 
perseverance,  but  were  somewhat  chopfallen  when 
they  were  ordered  to  display  their  perseverance  again, 
out  of  respect  for  Brazil.  They  were  obliged  to  re- 
ascend  the  "  Sugar  Loaf"  at  once,  and  bring  down 
the  flag.  Since  this  exploit,  no  other  similar  attempt 
has  been  made  to  take  possession  of  the  country. 

Across  the  bay,  which  in  front  of  the  city  is  three 
miles  wide,  are  the  suburbs  of  Praia  Grande  and  St. 
Domingo.  Many  of  the  foreign  residents  have  their 
dwellings  in  these  towns,  so  closely  and  pleasantly 
connected  with  the  city.  An  enterprising  Yankee, 
Dr.  R.,  who,  as  a  dentist,  made  a  fortune  from  the 
teeth  of  the  people,  is  doing  the  same  thing  "  in  spite 
of  their  teeth,"  again,  by  the  monopoly  of  the  ferry. 
He  originated  a  company,  procured  all  needed  privi- 
leges from  the  government,  and  ordered  ferry-boats 
from  home,  which,  fortunately,  arrived  safely,  notwith- 
standing all  their  top-hamper  and  apparent  unsea- 
worthiness. They  are  now  in  successful  operation, 
8 


114  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

the  sharp  practitioner  being  the  agent  and  pursuing 
the  tactics  of  an  accomplished  stock-broker.  He 
plays  the  shares  up  and  down  to  suit  his  own  pur- 
poses, beautifully  bamboozling  the  innocent  stockhold- 
ers ;  and  he  gains  more  money  in  this  way  than  in  a 
regular  course  of  business.  The  doctor  is  one  of 
the  celebrities  of  Rio.  He  is  universally  liked  and 
disliked,  and  the  pleasant  smile  with  which  he  receives 
the  money  and  the  curses  of  the  people  at  the  same 
time,  is  a  study  in  physiognomy. 

Small  steamers  run  often  to  the  various  suburbs  and 
towns  on  the  bay.  There  is  one  of  great  speed  and 
conveniently  arranged  for  passengers,  which  leaves 
every  afternoon  on  the  route  for  Petropolis —  that 
most  desirable  of  all  the  summer  resorts.  This  town 
is  situated  on  the  top  of  the  Serra,  at  a  distance  of 
forty  miles  from  Rio  de  Janeiro.  The  climate  is 
delightfully  cool  in  the  morning  and  evening  of  the 
hottest  midsummer  days,  and  is  delicious  in  winter, 
when  only  occasionally  fires  are  needed.  It  is,  how- 
ever, subject  to  heavy  showers  of  rain,  that  come  with 
little  warning.  Here  is  the  summer  palace  of  the 
emperor,  and  the  foreign  ministers,  with  their  at- 
taches, make  it  their  permanent  residence. 

No  change  can  be  imagined  more  refreshing  in  the 
heat  of  summer  than  a  sudden  transition  from  the 
tropical  languor  of  the  city  to  the  bracing  atmosphere 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  115 

of  these  mountains.  The  time  spent  on  board  the 
steamboat  is  but  an  hour,  while  we  are  carried  four- 
teen miles  on  the  bay,  passing  many  pretty  islets  and 
the  large  Island  of  Governador.  This  is  the  most 
extensive  and  the  most  fertile  of  them  all.  Very 
picturesque  were  the  faluas,  some  of  them  laden  with 
fruit,  as  they  passed  up  and  down  along  our  route, 
some  working  sharply  to  windward,  and  others  with 
their  lateen  sails  wing-and-winged,  flying  like  birds 
before  the  sea  breeze. 

Arriving  at  the  end  of  the  steamboat  route,  we  take 
the  cars  upon  a  short  railroad  line  of  twenty  miles, 
carrying  us  over  a  level,  swampy  country,  abounding 
in  mosquitoes,  to  the  foot  of  the  Serra.  Again  we 
have  a  transfer,  and  by  far  the  pleasantest.  The  car- 
riage road  for  the  remaining  distance,  built  by  French 
engineers,  is  a  wonderful  triumph  over  natural  ob- 
stacles. The  Serra  is  here  very  steep,  but  the  road  is 
laid  out  in  a  zigzag  style,  like  the  working  of  a  trench 
in  the  approach  to  a  fortress.  It  is  perfectly  smooth, 
being  macadamized  throughout.  The  outside  is  pro- 
tected by  a  wall  five  feet  in  height.  To  each  carriage 
are  harnessed  six  mules ;  these  trot  briskly  up  the 
continuous  ascent  of  eight  miles,  changing  but  once  — 
a  performance  of  which  no  horses  would  be  capable. 
It  matters  not  on  which  side  of  the  carriage  you  take 


Il6  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

your  seat,  as  at  every  few  rods  there  is  a  turn  admit- 
ting a  full  view  of  the  magnificent  prospect  below. 
This  is  equally  captivating,  whether  ascending  in  the 
evening  or  returning  in  the  morning. 

Generally  the  weather  is  more  clear  in  the  after- 
noon. Then,  at  every  turn,  the  bay  and  its  surround- 
ings come  into  full  view,  and  frequently  the  shadow 
of  the  mountains,  falling  over  part  of  the  land  between 
their  base  and  the  water,  makes  one  of  the  prettiest 
pictures  imaginable.  It  is  a  favorite  walk  from  the 
town  of  Petropolis  to  the  brink  of  the  Serra,  where 
this  may  be  seen  in  perfection. 

On  the  descent  there  is  a  charming  illusion  pro- 
duced by  the  fog  so  frequently  hanging  over  the  bay, 
at  the  same  time  that  the  air  on  the  heights  of  the 
Serra  is  perfectly  clear.  Then  the  bay  seems  to 
extend  to  the  very  base  of  the  mountains,  and  to  be 
directly  under  us.  The  lower  peaks  and  spurs  of 
hills  become  rocky  islands  in  this  sea  of  fog.  The 
illusion  is  most  perfect  to  a  stranger  who  sees  it  for 
the  first  time.  For  him  it  is  a  reality  that  he  cannot 
doubt,  until  he  descends  into  the  mist  which  he  so 
surely  thought  to  be  the  sea. 

Having  reached  the  "  Alto,"  three  thousand  feet 
high,  there  is  a  slight  descent  to  the  village.  Then 
there  is  the  evening  excitement,  as  a  dozen  coaches 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  1 17 

rattle  furiously  down  the  street,  with  a  blowing  of 
bugles  and  a  cracking  of  whips.  Groups  of  ladies 
are  waiting  upon  the  verandas  of  the  hotels,  to  u  see 
who  has  come,"  and  those  who  have  come  are  quite 
ready  for  the  clothes-brush,  the  wash-stand,  and  their 
dinner. 


n8 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Petropolis  and  its  People.  —  The  Palace  and  Gardens.  —  The 
Coffee  Trade.  —  A  Profitable  Road.  — Among  the  Rivers.  — 
Paying  a  Visit.  —  A  Pleasant  Drive.  —  A  Bit  of  Sentiment. 

—  Change  of  Carriages.  —  Plague  of  Flies.  —  Unwelcome 
Companions.  —  Jubilant  Negroes.  —  A  Jolly  Englishman. 

—  Mark  Tapley  outdone. 

IN  the  town  of  Petropolis  there  are  not  more  than 
fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  inhabitants.  Most 
of  these  are  Germans.  Many  more  live  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  village,  cultivating  their  little  farms  and 
vineyards.  It  is  delightful  to  stroll  about  among 
them,  and  to  transport  yourself,  with  the  air  of  a 
very  little  imagination,  to  the  vine-clad  fields  of  Ger- 
many. 

The  palace  and  gardens  are  shown  to  the  public 
with  much  civility  and  attention  when  the  imperial 
family  are  absent.  The  building  is  more  convenient 
and  comfortable  than  large  or  showy.  In  some  of  the 
rooms  the  floors  and  ceilings  are  beautifully  inlaid 
with  the  various  colored  woods  for  which  Brazil  is 
celebrated.  The  gardens  were  laid  out  by  French- 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  119 

men.  In  most  of  the  public  and  private  gardens  of 
the  country  the  French  taste  predominates.  In  all  of 
them  there  is  a  distressing  characteristic  of  patch- 
work regularity.  They  are  often  made  up  of  circles, 
squares,  and  triangles,  the  favorite  borders  of  these 
little  nuisances  being  inverted  glass  bottles.  France 
is  sometimes  called  "  the  garden  of  the  world,"  but  it 
is  quite  as  true  that  England  alone  can  furnish  gar- 
deners. 

Petropolis  derives  some  benefit  from  the  immense 
traffic  in  coffee,  which  passes  through,  on  its  way  from 
the  back  country  to  Rio  de  Janeiro.  This  will  soon 
leave  it  when  the  Dom  Pedro  II.  Railroad  is  con- 
tinued and  opened.  It  is  connected  with  Juiz  de 
Fora,  a  frontier  town  of  the  province,  by  an  excellent 
macadamized  road  of  one  hundred  miles.  This 
road  belongs  to  the  "  Uniao  e  Industria "  Company. 
Stage-coaches  run  the  distance  daily  in  ten  hours,  and 
carry  many  passengers  over  the  road,  which,  at  pres- 
ent, forms  the  only  communication  with  the  mines 
of  Minas  Geraes. 

But  the  chief  profits  of  the  company  are  derived 
from  the  tolls  on  wagons  bringing  produce  and 
returning  with  merchandise.  In  the  last  year  there 
were  carried  over  the  road  twelve  thousand  tons  of 
coffee  and  twelve  thousand  passengers.  The  com- 
pany owns  one  hundred  and  fifty  wagons  and  two 


I2O  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

thousand  mules.  Besides  these,  the  fazenderos  often 
use  their  own  teams  in  the  transportation  of  their 
produce.  When  the  Uniao  e  Industria  road  was 
undertaken,  the  government  guaranteed  seven  per 
cent,  interest  per  annum  on  the  capital.  The  invest- 
ment proved  better  than  was  anticipated,  for  the 
stockholders  have  realized  fifteen  per  cent. ;  and  now 
that  the  traffic  will  be  so  much  injured  by  the  exten- 
sion of  the  railroad,  the  government  liberally  proposes 
to  assume  the  road  at  cost. 

The  town,  or  rather  the  post-house,  of  Entre  Rios, 
in  the  Parahiba  valley,  is  one  half  the  distance  to 
Juiz  de  Fora.  For  these  fifty  miles  there  is  a  gradual 
descent,  and  then  commences  a  rise  till  the  same 
altitude  is  attained  at  Juiz  de  Fora  as  at  Petropolis. 
Down  the  slope  from  Petropolis  runs  the  Piabana, 
and  down  from  Juiz  de  Fora  runs  the  Parahibuna. 
Here  at  Entre  Rios  (among  the  rivers)  they  both 
tumble  into  the  Parahiba,  which  flows  through  the 
extensive  valley  of  the  same  name  to  the  ocean.  The 
whole  length  of  the  Parahiba,  from  its  source  to  its 
mouth  at  Campos,  is  eight  hundred  miles.  For  the 
last  part  of  its  course  it  is  not  navigable.  Navigation 
commences  two  hundred  miles  from  the  sea,  and 
continues  uninterrupted  for  two  hundred  miles  inland. 
In  connection  with  the  railroad,  a  large  business  will 
be  opened  for  steamers,  which  of  course  must  be 


CASCADE  OF  ITAMARITY  —  Piabana  River,  near  Petropolis. 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  121 

built  inland,  to  suit  the  convenience  of  this  very  pecu- 
liar river.  At  this  place  the  railroad  will  soon 
intersect  the  turnpike. 

The  town  of  Parahiba  do  Sul  is  eight  miles  distant 
from  Entre  Rios.  In  the  city  we  had  often  met  Mr. 
W.,  an  English  engineer  engaged  in  constructing 
this  section  of  the  line.  He  had  urged  us,  in  a  very 
cordial  manner,  to  visit  him  at  his  delightful  quarters 
in  this  charming  little  town  of  Parahiba  do  Sul.  The 
present  was  a  good  opportunity  to  do  so,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  enjoy  a  drive  over  the  justly  celebrated 
Uniao  e  Industria  road.  Unfortunately  for  me,  if  not 
for  himself,  my  friend  Captain  G.  was  too  ill  to  ac- 
company me. 

I  left  the  hotel  at  Petropolis  on  a  summer  morning, 
the  air  so  fresh  that  overcoats  were  needed  on  the  top 
of  the  coach.  It  was  exhilarating  to  be  rattled  along 
at  such  a  slashing  pace  over  this  splendid  road. 
Winding  along  through  gorges  in  the  Serra,  continu- 
ally descending,  yet  scarcely  seeming  to  do  so,  we 
followed  the  stream  of  the  noisy  Piabana.  Skipping 
and  dancing  along,  now  looking  poutingly  up  from 
the  deep  glens,  and  then  laughing  gayly  in  the  bright 
sunlight,  this  little  coquette  kept  in  our  company  all 
the  way,  babbling  her  pretty  nonsense  and  playing 
her  music  on  the  pebbles.  Little  Piabana!  I  had 
no  one  to  talk  with  but  you ;  so  I  fell  in  love  with 


122  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

you,  and  often  wished  myself  in  your  arms  on  that 
warm  day ! 

For  the  first  part  of  the  distance  all  was  a  wild 
forest.  Sometimes  we  were  wTalled  in  by  perpen- 
dicular cliffs,  hundreds  of  feet  high,  the  rocks  scarcely 
visible,  so  covered  were  they  with  cactuses,  shrubs, 
and  flowers.  After  every  ten  miles  we  changed  our 
mules.  In  each  team  there  are  generally  one  or  two 
wild  animals,  harnessed  with  the  others  to  be  broken 
in.  There  is,  therefore,  a  grand  "  splurge "  in  start- 
ing from  a  post-house,  each  of  the  six  mules  being  led 
off  by  a  groom.  When  they  let  go,  at  a  word  from 
the  driver,  there  is  a  jolly  kicking  scene  enacted  for 
the  first  quarter  or  half  mile,  till  at  last  they  all  get 
settled  down  to  a  comfortable  gallop. 

As  we  descended  into  tropical  regions,  we  came 
among  numerous  coffee  plantations,  extending  far  on 
both  sides  of  the  road.  The  formation  of  the  land  is 
very  peculiar.  It  is  made  up  of  little  hills,  so  that 
there  is  scarcely  a  level  spot  of  five  acres  anywhere. 
The  northern  or  sunny  sides  of  these  hummocks  are 
generally  devoted  to  coffee,  while  the  southern,  being 
more  shady,  are  better  suited  to  Indian  corn.  It  is  so 
much  more  profitable  to  raise  coffee,  that,  although 
corn  grows  well,  there  is  not  enough  of  it  raised  for 
consumption  on  the  road.  Mr.  Morrit,  the  president 
of  the  company,  had  this  year  imported  two  cargoes 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  123 

from  the  Black  Sea,  and  two  more  were  on  their  way 
from  the  United  States. 

As  the  day  drew  on  and  we  continued  our  descent, 
the  sun  Became  scorchingly  hot.  Nevertheless,  the 
rapid  gait  of  our  mules  kept  us  in  a  breeze,  and  we 
were  uncomfortable  only  for  a  few  moments  while 
changing  at  the  post-houses. 

At  noon  we  reached  the  station  of  Entre  Rios,  and 
I  left  the  coach,  in  order  to  diverge  to  Parahiba  do 
Sul,  the  delightful  quarters  of  our  friend  W.  I  was 
not  sure  of  rinding  him  at  home,  as  his  occupation 
often  called  him  away ;  but  he  had  told  us  that  Mrs. 
W.  was  always  at  home,  and  if  by  any  chance  she 
should  be  out,  the  servants  would  show  us  our  suites 
of  rooms. 

There  are  three  houses  in  the  town  of  Entre  Rios, 
one  of  which  is  the  venda,  and  serves  as  the  station- 
house.  This  is  surrounded  by  open  stables,  wherein 
are  quartered  three  or  four  hundred  mules.  The  con- 
sequence of  their  close  neighborhood  is,  that  the  flies 
swarm  in  countless  millions.  These  nuisances,  added 
to  the  intolerable  noonday  heat  of  one  hundred  de- 
grees, made  our  sojourn  of  two  hours  as  far  from 
agreeable  as  it  could  be.  The  invariable  meal  of 
carne  seca,  fat  pork,  and  beans  was  served ;  but 
who  that  was  anticipating  a  dinner  of  French  or 
English  serving,  with  its  champagne  accompaniment, 


124  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

could  dine  from  this  horrible  mixture,  stirred  in  with 
flies? 

At  last  the  coach  for  Parahiba  do  Sul  was  ready. 
It  was  a  two-horse  affair,  with  a  back  seat  protected 
from  the  sun  by  a  hood.  This  seat  was  already  in 
the  possession  of  a  Brazilian  lady  and  gentleman. 
They  had  a  large  quantity  of  luggage,  and  were  evi- 
dently returning  from  a  journey.  Some  of  the  boxes 
were  upon  the  front  seat,  where  there  was  also  a  little 
live  piece  of  black  female  baggage.  A  bandbox  was 
removed,  and  I  was  accommodated  with  a  seat  by  her 
side.  I  regretted  having  left  my  cologne  on  board  the 
ship.  The  hood  of  the  vehicle  was  unfortunately  at 
such  an  angle  that  an  umbrella  could  not  be  brought 
to  bear  effectually,  and  I  believe  that  the  attraction  of 
the  little  black  wench  at  my  side  made  the  sun  hotter 
than  ever.  My  fellow-passengers  seemed  to  consider 
me  one  de  trop,  and  I  certainly  thought  them  three 
too  many.  As  we  went  broiling  along,  the  dust  fell 
thick  upon  us,  especially  upon  the  colored  young  lady 
and  myself.  She  began  to  assume  an  appearance  of 
pepper  and  salt,  as  the  yellow  sand  adhered  to  her 
shiny  skin.  We  sweated  (perspired  conveys  no  ade- 
quate idea),  choked,  and  panted;  and  there  were 
maledictions  not  a  few  vented  in  Portuguese  and  in 
English,  till  the  eight  miles  were  finally  accomplished. 
Then  we  entered  the  dirtiest  little  town  imaginable. 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  125 

We  drove  up  to  the  door  of  our  Brazilian  passen- 
gers. They  were  most  boisterously  welcomed  by  a 
troop  of  darkies.  The  pleasantest  thing  that  I  had 
seen  for  some  hours  was  the  affection  of  these  poor 
negroes.  It  paid  in  part  for  my  sufferings,  for  I  love  to 
see  the  milk  of  human  kindness,  be  the  source  from 
which  it  is  drawn  white  or  black.  Bright  shone  their 
eyes,  and  what  a  display  was  there  of  ivory ! 

They  fairly  seized  their  mistress — who  was  a  portly 
lady  of  more  than  two  hundred  weight  —  in  their 
arms,  and  "  toted "  her  off  into  the  house,  hugging 
and  kissing  her,  screaming  and  dancing  as  they  went. 

My  companions  having  left  the  carnage,  I  had  the 
back  seat  comfortably  to  myself  for  the  remaining 
distance  of  about  twenty  rods. 

The  coachman  knew  the  "  Senhor  Ingles,"  for  he 
was  the  only  Englishman  there.  So  he  drove  at  once 
to  his  "  delightful  quarters."  His  dwelling  was  simply 
a  one-story  adobe  house,  containing  two  rooms  and  a 
closet,  the  whole  concern  not  exceeding  in  space  that 
of  a  ship's  cabin,  and  with  somewhat  less  than  a  hun- 
dredth part  of  its  convenience  or  comfort ! 

Had  he  "sold"  his  guest?  No;  he  fully  believed 
that  he  lived  in  a  sort  of  paradise  !  His  wife  was  ill 
in  one  little  room  ;  the  other  apartment  was  the  dining- 
hall,  parlor,  library,  and  everything  else.  The  closet 
was  the  "  spare  room,"  in  which  he  lodged  his  guests 


126  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

(I  was  glad  that  G.  did  not  come),  and  the  kitchen 
was  the  largest  of  all,  for  it  had  earth's  remotest 
bounds  for  its  walls,  and  its  ceiling  was  the  sky. 

W.  was  a  combination  of  Micawber  and  Mark 
Tapley,  hopeful  and  jolly  under  all  circumstances, 
and  most  jolly  when  any  one  else  would  be  most 
miserable.  His  reception  was  enthusiastic  in  the 
highest  degree. 

I  was  glad  to  find  a  basin  of  water  in  my  "  suite  of 
apartments,"  and  was  soon  ready  for  dinner. 

Now,  W.  was  fully  persuaded  that  he  lived  not  only 
very  comfortably,  but  in  considerable  luxury.  He 
had  a  singular  preference  for  canned  provisions  and 
salt  herrings.  There  was  no  meat  to  be  had  in  the 
market;  but  he  thought  that  "fresh  meat  was  bad  in 
this  climate."  He  seemed  to  entertain  a  different 
opinion  at  the  hotel  in  the  city.  It  is  true  there  was 
very  little  air  in  the  dog-hole  where  he  lived  ;  but  the 
"  air  always  gave  him  the  rheumatism."  He  was  a 
very  healthy-looking  subject.  He  had  no  stable  for 
his  two  mules  ;  but  the  "  rain  did  them  good,  as  it  also 
helped  to  wash  the  cook's  dishes."  Society  ?  "  Pooh  !  " 
said  he,  "  if  we  had  our  own  countrymen  to  talk  with, 
how  should  we  keep  up  our  Portuguese?  And  as  to 
church,  I  do  love  my  religion  ;  and  when  I  return  to 
England,  how  I  shall  enjoy  it,  from  having  been  so 
long  deprived  of  its  comforts  !  " 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  127 

To  all  appearance  I  fell  into  his  vein  for  the  time, 
and  pretended  to  enjoy  everything  hugely,  being  pri- 
vately as  miserable  as  Mark  Tapley  himself  could 
desire.  Poor  Mrs.  W.,  to  my  great  regret,  crept  from 
her  bed,  and  did  the  honors  of  the  dinner-table.  Still, 
I  thought  that  perhaps  she  was  glad  to  see  me.  W. 
is  off  sometimes  for  weeks  upon  the  railroad,  leaving 
her  alone,  with  only  a  black  servant,  and  not  a  person 
who  can  speak  her  language  in  the  place.  u  What 
singular  creatures  women  are  !"  said  W.,  as  he  smoked 
his  pipe,  after  dinner.  "  Do  you  know,  my  wife  is 
sometimes  discontented  here?  For  God's  sake,  what 
more  can  a  woman  want  than  she  has,  with  every 
comfort  about  her  !  " 

In  the  evening  we  walked  out,  and  called  upon 
some  of  elite  of  the  town.  One  of  them  kept  a 
billiard-room,  containing  a  half-clothed  billiard-table. 
Another,  who  was  the  merchant  prince  of  the  place, 
occupied  one  room  for  his  dwelling  and  his  office. 
We  found  him  asleep  on  a  pile  of  bean  bags,  in  the 
midst  of  his  other  stock  of  coffee  and  carne  seca, 
with  the  aroma  of  which  the  apartment  was  pene- 
trated. The  ladies  we  saw  were  chiefly  Ethiopian. 

On  retiring  to  my  "  suite,"  W.  cautioned  me  to 
close  the  window,  awfully  hot  as  it  was.  "  They  are 
a  good,  honest  set  of  people  here,"  said  he,  "  but  it  is 
not  well  to  place  temptations  in  their  way.  In  fact,  I 


128  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

left  my  window  open  once  or  twice,  and  everything 
was  stolen  out  of  the  house."  As  it  was  impossible 
to  sleep  with  the  window  closed,  I  left  it  open,  and 
sat  by  it  all  night,  studying  a  treatise  on  engineering 
as  attentively  as  the  mosquitoes  would  permit.  In  the 
morning,  not  wishing  to  be  subjected  to  such  carriage 
inconveniences  as  on  the  previous  day,  I  accepted  the 
offer  of  a  mule  from  my  friend's  "  stables,"  and  thank- 
ing him  for  his  hospitality,  —  which  he  begged  me 
"  not  to  mention,"  —  I  trotted  off  to  Entre  Rios,  and 
there  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  return  coach  for 
Petropolis. 


129 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Immigration  to  Brazil  from  the  Southern  States.  —  Con- 
tradictory Accounts.  —  Benefit  to  the  Country.  —  Evils  of 
Amalgamation.  —  Swiss,  German,  and  French  Settlers.  — 
A  White  Slave  Trade.  —  Islanders  returning  Home.  —  A 
Pleasant  Picture. 

THESE  sketches  of  excursions  into  the  country 
have  been  given,  not  only  with  the  intention  of 
amusing,  but  with  the  hope  that  some  practical  hints 
may  be  taken  from  them. 

Much  has  been  said  in  Brazil  of  the  prospect  of 
colonization  from  the  Southern  States  of  the  Union. 
Doubtless  there  will  be  an  immigration  to  some 
extent,  but  it  cannot  be  as  large  as  many  who  are 
interested  would  have  us  believe.  Up  to  this  time 
(September,  1866),  the  number  of  immigrants  has 
been  so  small  as  to  be  quite  insignificant.  There 
have  arrived  at  Rio  de  Janeiro  scarcely  more  than  a 
dozen  families,  and  there  are  probably  not  more  than 
a  hundred  individuals  in  all.  Some  of  these  have 
already  become  disgusted,  and  have  returned  to  their 
9 


I3O  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

old  homes.  Others  seem  determined  to  persevere, 
and  are  confident  of  success. 

On  our  route  between  Rio  de  Janeiro  and  Santos, 
the  going  and  returning  immigrants  were  occasionally 
among  my  passengers.  The  stories  told  by  them 
were  of  a  very  opposite  kind.  Individual  tempera- 
ment, rather  than  a  disposition  to  be  untruthful,  in- 
fluenced many  of  these  reports.  According  to  some, 
who  had  been  "  prospecting,"  and  were  returning 
to  procure  furniture  and  agricultural  tools  for  their 
new  homes,  here  was  "  a  land  flowing  with  milk 
and  honey."  All  that  was  needed  was  to  clear  out 
the  Canaanites,  and  to  have  a  colony  of  their  own, 
with  their  own  laws  and  customs,  when  they  were  to 
be  independent  of  all  the  world. 

The  disappointed  homeward-bound  men  told  us 
that  it  was  "  a  country  not  fit  for  a  dog ; "  that  the 
bichos  destroyed  the  cattle,  the  ants  ate  the  seed  faster 
than  it  could  be  planted ;  there  was  either  too  much 
rain  or  not  enough ;  the  Brazilians  were  bad  neigh- 
bors ;  no  labor  was  to  be  had ;  there  were  no  churches 
or  schools  ;  all,  all  was  discouraging  and  cheerless  ! 

We  could  hardly  believe  both ;  so  we  looked  into 
their  faces  to  find  a  solution  for  these  discrepancies. 
Some  of  the  men  were  young,  rosy,  blue-eyed,  and 
cheerful ;  others  were  older,  sallow,  and  morose. 
Accordingly  we  attributed  these  contradictions  to  the 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  131 

regular  and  irregular  action  of  bile.  Doubtless  we 
judged  correctly ;  for  the  centre  of  thought  and  mo- 
tive is  not  the  head  or  the  heart  —  it  is  the  liver ! 

A  number  of  American  immigrants  have  settled  in 
Campinas,  where  they  have  already  commenced  the 
cultivation  of  cotton.  More  have  gone  farther  south, 
upon  the  Iguape  and  Ribeira  Rivers,  having  there,  as 
a  company,  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land,  which 
they  intend  to  plant  w7ith  sugar-cane.  Be  these  im- 
migrants few  or  many,  their  presence  will  have  some 
influence  in  developing  the  resources  of  the  country. 
They  will  introduce  machinery,  and  will  bring  their 
experience,  which  is  a  mighty  power  as  opposed  to 
the  old,  inherited  customs  of  this  slowest  of  slow 
nations.  The  Brazilians  are  already  beginning  to 
avail  themselves  of  this  by  letting  their  fazendas  on 
shares  to  those  enterprising  northerners  ;  but  they  will 
not  trouble  themselves  to  be  learners.  All  Brazilians 
are  not  deficient  in  energy.  Far  from  it.  Among 
them  are  shrewd  bankers,  astute  lawyers,  and  far- 
seeing  politicians.  But  the  fazendeiros  who  are  rich 
have  generally  blundered  into  their  wealth,  or  nature 
has  showered  the  golden  rain  upon  them,  so  that 
they  could  not  very  well  keep  out  of  its  way. 

But  we  speak  of  the  Brazilians  as  a  nation.  Time 
only  will  decide  upon  the  correctness  of  these  opin- 
ions. It  does  not  seem  that  this  people  can  compete 


132  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

with  the  Anglo-Saxons,  or  with  that  pure  Latin  race 
from  which  they  originated,  and  from  which  they 
have  degenerated.  If  God  did  make  "  of  one  blood 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth,"  it  was  a  long  time  ago  ; 
and  now,  the  blood  is  so  certainly  not  the  same,  that 
He  alone  can  restore  it  to  its  original  purity.  All  the 
endeavors  of  miscegenationists  have  proved  failures. 

No  people  has  attempted  the  experiment  more 
recklessly  than  the  Brazilians.  Wherever  their  an- 
cestors, the  Portuguese,  have  gone,  this  has  been  their 
character.  Thus,  in  India  and  in  China,  they  have 
brought  the  human  race  down  to  a  level  scarcely  a 
step  above  the  orang-outang.  In  those  regions  the 
name  of  "  Pariah  Portuguese "  signifies  all  that  is 
low,  vile,  and  beastly.  Will  Brazil  rise  from  her 
present  condition  to  be  a  fit  member  of  the  great 
family  of  nations,  or  will  she  sink  lower  and  lower, 
until  she  reaches  the  depths  of  degradation?  The 
world  is  now  so  shaken  up  that  nothing  can  stand 
still  upon  it,  any  more  than  the  earth  itself  can  stop. 
If  this  people  of  Brazil  cannot  drag  along  their  car 
of  improvement,  others  will  do  it  for  them. 

Years  hence,  it  may  appear  that  one  of  the  results 
of  our  civil  war  will  have  been  the  repeopling  of  this 
land  from  the  starting-point  of  the  few  dozens  of 
Americans  who  have  landed  here.  The  first  Ameri- 
can colonists  are  now  to  take  their  turn  in  the  experi- 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  133 

ment  of  civilizing  this  empire.  More  than  twenty 
colonies  have  settled  in  it  within  the  last  thirty  years 
—  mostly  Germans  and  Swiss.  Few  of  them  have 
been  successful. 

The  Swiss  are  proverbially  a  homesick  people. 
Many  of  these  have  returned  —  at  least  many  of  such 
as  could  afford  to  go  home,  have  done  so.  Some 
few  have  accustomed  themselves  to  their  circum- 
stances, and  these  have  all  settled  in  the  mountain- 
ous regions,  where  they  do  not  care  to  become  rich. 
They  are  content  with  their  old  pursuits,  such  as 
they  loved  in  their  native  land.  Here,  too,  they 
can  find  rugged  mountains  and  green  valleys.  True, 
there  are  no  glaciers  or  avalanches  of  snow,  but  there 
are  hail-storms  and  mud-slides,  and  goitres  are  almost 
as  common  here  as  in  Switzerland.  Happy  Swiss, 
who  can  find  so  many  things  like  home ! 

Nor  are  the  Germans  more  enterprising  than  the 
Swiss.  They  have  their  little  market  gardens,  and 
vineyards,  and  they  can  have  sauerkraut  and  beer,  as 
in  Vaterland.  As  a  people  they  do  not  care  so  much 
for  the  old  home  as  the  Swiss,  but  are  more  ready 
to  make  an  old  home  of  the  new.  Here  they  main- 
tain their  former  customs  in  dress  as  well  as  in  living. 
Hard,  leather-faced-looking  men  they  are,  who  wear 
their  heavy  frocks  and  blue  woollen  stockings,  regard- 
less of  the  thermometer ;  and  straight,  up-and-down 


134  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

women,  with  yellow,  braided  hair,  —  uncovered  in 
rain  or  sunshine,  —  with  short  dresses  and  feet  heavy 
enough  to  ballast  them  against  the  loads  carried  upon 
their  heads.  They  all  drink  their  lager  beer,  and 
gallop  like  troop  horses  at  their  Sunday  night  balls. 
They  are  happy  in  their  way,  without  a  thought  of 
coffee,  cotton,  or  sugar-cane. 

France  has  her  representatives,  too ;  but  they  are 
scarcely  better  suited  to  grand  purposes  than  the 
Swiss  or  Germans.  Yet  they  perform  their  mission 
of  introducing  civilization  of  the  French  sort.  They 
teach  the  people  style  in  dress,  music,  dancing, 
economy,  refinement,  and  last  but  not  least,  cookery. 
If  they  can  make  a  revolution  in  this  one  particular 
alone,  they  will  do  their  share  in  the  work  of  regenera- 
tion. France  has  reached  the  highest  mysteries  of 
the  cuisine,  while  Brazil  is  wallowing  in  its  very 
pig-troughs. 

But  Frenchmen  are  not  good  colonists,  in  the  sense 
in  which  we  are  just  now  considering  the  advantages 
from  colonists  required  by  this  country.  They  are 
not  enterprising ;  they  do  not  care  for  plantations ; 
they  are  seldom  found  asking  for  railroad  or  steam- 
ship contracts,  or  concerning  themselves  in  any  way 
with  public  affairs.  They  live  together,  love  to-, 
gether,  and  quarrel  together,  in  and  about  the  Rua 
Ouvidor,  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  where  there  are  the 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  135 

finest  shops  in  the  city,  —  a  miniature  Rue  de  la  Paix. 
It  has  its  restaurants,  cafes,  and  billiard-rooms,  and 
near  it  is  the  public  garden.  What  more  can  a 
Frenchman  want,  unless  it  be  his  boulevards?  These 
he  cannot  have,  and  so  he  sometimes  sighs  for  them, 
and  dreams,  as  all  Frenchmen  dream,  of  the  day 
when  his  "  little  commerce "  shall  have  made  his 
fortune ;  pictures  to  himself  the  return  voyage,  and, 
as  the  Indian  thinks  of  his  far-off  happy  hunting- 
grounds,  so  the  jolly  little  Frenchman  makes  himself 
happy  in  this  present  life  in  Brazil  with  the  hope 
of  a  heavenly  one  —  in  Paris  ! 

The  French  congregate  mostly  in  the  cities ;  but 
they  wander  about  the  country  as  pedlers,  and  are 
often  met  upon  the  road,  trudging  along  under  their 
packs  of  fancy  goods,  gayly  singing  to  themselves,  and 
talking  to  their  dogs.  What  care  they  to  think  how 
bugs,  priests,  ants,  custom-houses,  and  all  other 
nuisances  standing  in  the  way  of  civilization  and 
progress,  are  to  be  overcome ! 

The  Italians  cannot  be  considered  as  colonists. 
They  come  with  their  hand-organs,  buy  monkeys, 
grind  away  for  a  'few  years,  and  go  home. 

There  is  something  very  like  a  white  slave  trade 
going  on  with  the  Western  Islands,  but  generally 
there  is  nothing  objectionable  in  it.  Now  and  then 
a  Portuguese  ship  arrives  with  a  company  of  these 


136  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

islanders.  Notice  is  given  in  the  papers  that  she  is 
anchored  off  the  Isle  of  Cobras.  The  intimation  is 
sufficient.  Immediately  she  is  surrounded  by  boat- 
loads of  eager  purchasers.  The  cargo,  mostly  of 
young  men  and  girls,  is  taken  on  board  by  the  captain, 
with  the  understanding  that  on  arrival  they  shall  be 
temporarily  sold  for  the  price  of  their  passages.  It 
is  just  to  these  poor  people  to  say  that  they  are 
generally  faithful  to  their  engagements,  seldom  leav- 
ing the  masters  to  whom  they  are  bound  until  they 
have  earned  their  freedom.  They  then  commence 
work  upon  their  own  account,  and  labor  with  the 
greatest  energy  and  perseverance  to  accumulate  their 
little  fortunes. 

As  might  be  expected,  there  is  occasionally  some 
immorality  in  these  transactions.  But  many  of  the 
females  come  over  with  the  express  purpose  of  thus 
disposing  of  themselves,  having  very  correct  ideas 
of  the  morality  of  the  country  that  gives  them  so  good 
a  chance  of  success.  Many  of  the  more  respectable 
class  marry  and  settle  here,  but  the  men  generally 
expect  to  return.  When  there  are  enough  of  them 
who  are  satisfied  with  the  results  of  their  labor,  they 
frequently  charter  a  small  brig  to  take  them  home. 
There  is  something  very  pleasant  in  the  scenes  of 
these  departures. 

The   picture   of  the   Plymouth   pilgrims    austerely 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  137 

going  to  sacrifice  themselves  in  a  wintry  desert  to 
a  religious  idea,  is  familiar  to  us  all,  but  it  does  not 
make  us  cheerful.  I  wish  I  could  paint  the  scene 
of  one  of  these  little  brigs  getting  under  way,  upon 
a  canvas  large  enough  to  give  expression  to  each 
happy  face,  and  to  the  tearful,  half-envious  looks 
that  peer  up  from  the  boats  alongside ;  and  then  the 
waving  of  handkerchiefs,  that  last  adieu,  as  the  top- 
sails feel  the  breeze !  It  would  be  a  good  picture ; 
for  it  would  always  be  seen  in  the  sunlight  of  a 
smile. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

History  and  Government  of  Brazil.  —  Unquiet  Condition  of 
the  Spanish-American  States.  —  Government  of  the  Coun- 
try by  the  Portuguese.  —  Emigration  of  the  Royal  Family 
to  Brazil.  —  Their  Return  to  Portugal.  —  Independence 
Declared.  —  Abdication  of  the  First  Emperor.  —  Accession 
of  the  Present  Ruler.  —  Powers  of  the  Emperor  and  the 
Parliament. 

IN  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  the  history 
and  government  of  Brazil  would  have  been  mat- 
ters of  greater  interest  than  is  felt  for  them  now.  At 
that  time  public  attention  was  drawn  to  the  South 
American  colonies,  which  were  imitating  our  ex- 
ample in  throwing  off  the  yoke  of  the  mother  coun- 
try and  acquiring  national  independence.  This  they 
gained,  and  we  have  seen  how  little  some  of  them 
deserved  a  liberty  which  they  so  speedily  desecrated 
and  converted  into  anarchy. 

Revolutions,  "  pronouncings,"  and  "  declarations  " 
have  succeeded  each  other  so  rapidly,  that  we  are 
tired  of  hearing  of  them  ;  and  the  politics  of  the  whole 
southern  continent  are  regarded  by  us  with  less 
interest  than  the  triumph  or  defeat  of  a  temperance 


TEN   MONTHS   IN   BRAZIL.  139 

law  in  one  of  our  own  states.  Indeed,  it  is  quite  use- 
less for  people  to  waste  their  time  in  reading  about 
these  oft-repeated  convulsions ;  for  a  single  year  may 
give  a  different  aspect  to  the  whole,  and  it  would 
require  a  good  memory  to  treasure  up  the  story  of 
all  their  counter-revolutions.  Such  a  faculty  might 
be  more  usefully  employed. 

Still,  the  history  of  these  states  affords  a  lesson  to 
such  enthusiasts  as  think  to  revolutionize  the  world 
in  a  day ;  to  those  who  expect  to  reap  the  fruits  of 
liberty  without  planting  the  seeds  and  watching  their 
growth. 

But  the  empire  of  Brazil  differs  from  the  others,  in- 
asmuch as  its  emancipation  from  colonial  dependence 
was  more  gradual ;  and  the  result  thus  far  has  con- 
sequently been  more  satisfactory.  In  common  with 
all  her  neighbors,  although  not  like  those  of  Spanish 
origin  claiming  the  name  of  a  republic,  her  constitu- 
tion is  modelled  after  that  of  the  United  States. 

It  is  nearly  four  centuries  since  Brazil  was  dis- 
covered, and  though  now  entirely  independent  of 
Portugal,  it  has  always  been  governed  by  the  same 
royal  family.  For  a  period  of  its  early  history,  the 
occupation  of  some  of  its  seaport  towns  was  disputed 
by  the  French ;  but  they  were  finally  driven  off,  and 
the  country  was  ever  afterwards  governed  as  a  vice- 
royalty  of  Portugal,  until,  in  1807,  ^ne  ^wo  countries 


140  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

singularly  changed  relations,  Brazil  becoming  the 
seat  of  government. 

Portugal  temporized  to  no  purpose  with  Napoleon, 
having  yielded  to  his  pretensions  until  warned  of  the 
futility  of  such  measures  by  the  example  of  the  un- 
successful servility  of  Spain.  Then  the  royal  family 
of  Braganza  took  a  step  which  astonished  all  Europe. 
It  was  regarded  as  cowardly,  but  in  their  helpless 
condition  it  was  certainly  politic. 

It  was  in  order  to  save  bloodshed,  and  with  the 
hope  that  the  invader  would  spare  his  subjects  in 
consequence  of  his  own  unqualified  submission,  that 
Dom  Joao,  after  counselling  his  afflicted  people  — 
who  desired  to  detain  him,  and  would  have  main- 
tained his  rights  at  all  hazards  —  to  obey  Napoleon 
implicitly,  embarked  in  haste  with  his  family.  He 
bade  adieu  to  the  thousands  who  had  assembled  to 
witness  the  sad  spectacle,  and  left  his  native  shores 
to  seek  a  refuge  in  this  distant  colony. 

Thus  the  loss  to  Portugal  proved  a  gain  to  Brazil. 
She  assumed  the  first  rank,  and,  after  the  general 
peace  of  Europe,  still  maintained  it,  the  sovereign 
preferring  to  remain  here,  and  to  govern  the  old 
country  with  a  delegated  power  for  some  years. 

In  1821,  the  old  King  Joao  VI.  had  become  dis- 
gusted with  the  new  world  ;  and  his  enemy,  Napoleon, 
having  no  longer  possession  of  Portugal,  he  returned 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  141 

to  his  home,  leaving  his  son  Pedro  to  govern  Brazil 
as  viceroy.  But  the  Brazilians,  having  once  assumed 
the  first  rank,  were  naturally  unwilling  to  be  super- 
seded again  by  Portugal.  Accordingly,  in  the  follow- 
ing year  they  declared  their  independence,  installing 
the  viceroy  as  emperor,  with  the  title  of  Pedro  I.  The 
Portuguese  made  a  show  of  resistance,  but  the  whole 
affair  was  accomplished  without  bloodshed,  to  the 
general  satisfaction  of  all  parties. 

To  sum  up  the  subsequent  history  of  the  Brazilian 
throne,  it  is  sufficient  to  say,  that  the  first  emperor, 
on  account  of  his  unwillingness  to  grant  the  people 
a  liberal  constitution,  was  obliged  to  abdicate  in 
1831.  Like  his  father,  he  took  refuge  in  the  home 
of  his  ancestors.  At  that  time  the  present  emperor 
was  a  child.  The  empire  was  accordingly  governed 
by  a  regency  until  the  year  1840,  when  Dom  Pedro 
II.,  although  only  fifteen  years  of  age,  assumed  the 
supreme  power. 

Upon  the  abdication  of  Dom  Pedro  I.  the  con- 
stitution was  altered  to  a  more  republican  form. 
The  power  of  the  emperor  was  limited  ;  for,  although 
he  holds  a  higher  title,  and  receives  a  salary  fifteen 
times  larger  than  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
yet  his  prerogative  is  less  in  many  respects.  The 
veto  power  amounts  to  but  very  little.  If  an  enact- 
ment passes  both  houses,  he  has  a  right  to  with- 


142  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

hold  his  sanction  at  first.  It  is  then  sent  back  to 
them,  and  if  they  pass  it  again,  even  by  no  greater 
majority  than  before,  it  becomes  a  law.  The  lower 
house  is  elected  from  the  various  provinces,  very 
much  as  our  House  of  Representatives  is  chosen,  but 
the  senators  are  elected  for  life,  or  during  good 
behavior.  They  are  dignified  with  titles  which  are 
not  hereditary. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

The  Monroe  Doctrine.  —  Forms  of  Government.  —  Foreign 
Enterprise  in  Brazil.  —  Improvement  of  the  Capital.  — 
Gratitude  to  a  Benefactor.  —  Iron-dads  and  Torpedoes.  — 
A  "Confederate"  Speculation.  — A  "  Slow  "  People.— 
The  three  Professions  —  Adaptation  of  Religions.  —  Mis- 
sionary Effort  in  Brazil. 

JUST  now  with  us  there  is  a  great  political 
catch  word  called  the  "  Monroe  Doctrine."  Some 
people  imagine  it  to  mean  the  annexation  of  the 
whole  western  continent  to  the  United  States.  They 
might  reflect,  from  the  experience  we  have  lately 
had,  that  a  ship  loaded  too  heavily  at  both  ends  is 
liable  to  "break  her  back."  But  let  the  Monroe 
Doctrine  in  its  modified  sense  be  extended  to  Brazil. 
Let  us  make  an  American  state  of  it,  without  the 
process  of  annexation. 

No  matter  what  the  form  of  government  may  be,  for 
the  theory  of  this  is  better  than  our  own,  while  in  prac- 
tice it  is  perhaps  worse.  A  limited  monarchy  of  the 
mildest  type,  a  Senate  elected  for  life,  subject  to  im- 
peachment, and  a  House  of  Representatives  chosen 


144  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

periodically  by  the  people,  form  a  system  which  is  cer- 
tainly free  from  some  of  the  objections  raised  against 
ours. 

But  let  the  government,  the  custom-house,  the  post- 
office,  and  the  courts  be  directed  by  North  American 
intellects,  the  soil  be  cultivated  by  North  American  en- 
ergy and  machinery,  down  will  go  the  tottering  relics 
of  barbarism  ;  and  as  the  Indians  have  died  away  from 
among  us,  and  the  Africans  are  now  perishing,  so  will 
this  composite,  mongrel,  effete  race  disappear  from 
the  world.  It  is  destiny.  Philanthropy,  philosophy, 
and  religions,  are  but  egg-shells  on  the  track  of  the 
irresistible  engine  —  fate  ! 

Even  now  there  is  scarcely  undertaken  an  enterprise 
of  the  least  importance  that  is  not  conceived  and  ex- 
ecuted by  foreigners.  A  few  years  ago  there  was  not 
a  drain  in  the  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  ;  all  the  filth  and 
offal  were  then  carried  on  the  heads  of  negroes  to  the 
water  side.  The  stench  was  abominable,  and  frequent 
accidents  from  collisions  were  seriously  ridiculous. 
The  streets  were  then  rather  obstructed  than  paved 
with  roc&s  of  various  sizes  and  angles,  and  melancholy- 
looking  oil  lamps  glimmered  only  occasionally  at  the 
corners.  Now,  the  city  is  drained  very  thoroughly ; 
many  of  the  streets  are  russ-paved,  and  are  well  light- 
ed with  gas.  All  these  and  many  more  improvements 
have  been  accomplished  by  foreigners.  The  natives 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  145 

are  becoming  disgusted  with  the  increasing  order  and 
cleanliness. 

But  there  is  one  public  work  to  the  credit  of  which 
a  Brazilian  is  fairly  entitled  —  the  aqueduct.  This  is 
a  fine  piece  of  architecture.  The  grateful  country- 
men of  the  man  who  conceived  it  have  deified  him. 
In  the  palace  square  is  a  monument  with  an  inscrip- 
tion to  this  effect  in  Latin  :  "  While  Phoebus  in  his 
course  through  the  skies  was  burning  up  all  the  land 
and  the  people,  Vasconcellos  conquered  his  fury  by 
introducing  water  into  the  city.  Return,  O  Phoebus  ! 
and  make  your  obeisance  to  this  excellent  man ! " 
This  is  rather  strong  language,  but  it  seems  not  to 
affect  the  sun,  for  he  still  shines  spitefully  hot,  and 
bakes  the  ground  over  the  head  of  Vasconcellos. 

All  the  arms  used  in  the  present  unhappy  war  with 
Paraguay  are  imported,  and,  with  trifling  exceptions, 
the  navy  has  been  built  abroad.  The  "  so-called " 
ironclads  are  the  veriest  absurdities  of  naval  archi- 
tecture. It  is  just  to  other  foreigners  to  say  that 
the  contractors  who  furnished  them  are  Englishmen. 
They  have  provided  coffins  for  the  poor  Brazilians, 
and,  if  report  speaks  true,  have  pocketed  more  than 
half  their  cost.  But  then  it  is  only  just  to  the  English 
to  say  that  they  are  not  concerned  in  another  specula- 
tion, the  credit  of  which  belongs  solely  to  some  of 
our  late  "  Confederates." 
10 


146  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

The  Paraguayans,  wishing  to  blow  up  the  Brazilian 
fleet,  employed  some  of  these  gentlemen  to  place  tor- 
pedoes in  convenient  localities  for  that  purpose.  The 
Brazilians,  naturally  desiring  their  removal,  contracted 
with  other  experts  to  take  them  away.  It  was  pro- 
ductive of  more  business  and  of  easier  profits  for 
these  two  parties  to  unite  their  talents,  and  to  play 
into  each  other's  hands.  So,  in  a  very  quiet  manner, 
they  made  a  joint  stock  of  both  companies.  The 
sunken  torpedoes  were  then  very  easily  discovered  and  * 
removed ;  of  course  it  was  necessary  to  replace  them 
with  others,  and  when  these  others  were  taken  up,  more 
were  to  be  laid  down.  The  joint  concern  therefore 
did  a  very  profitable  business,  the  security  of  the  Par- 
aguayans and  the  danger  to  the  Brazilians  remaining 
about  the  same,  at  a  trifling  additional  cost  to  both 
nations. 

If  foreigners  conferred  no  greater  benefit  upon  the 
country  than  accrues  from  such  sharp  practices  as 
these,  it  were  better  for  Brazil  to  be  left  to  herself.  It 
is  true  that  Americans  and  Englishmen,  in  the  real 
good  they  accomplish,  are  actuated  as  much  as  these 
roguish  adventurers  by  a  desire  of  profit.  Still,  while 
they  have  made  fortunes  richly  deserved,  they  have 
greatly  benefited  the  Brazilians  at  the  same  time. 

But  these  people  are  slow  to  take  advantage  of  the 
improvements  almost  forced  upon  them.  The  Dom 


TEN    MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  147 

Pedro  II.  Railroad  has  been  in  operation  eight  years 
for  a  considerable  distance  from  the  capital ;  and  yet, 
if  you  go  twenty  miles  into  the  country,  you  will  see 
respectable  old  fogies  jogging  towards  the  city  on 
muleback,  at  the  rate  of  four  or  five  miles  an  hour, 
and  you  will  meet  cart-loads  of  produce  and  merchan- 
dise passing  inward  and  outward.  Everything  is 
slow.  The  "  law's  delay,"  with  us  a  great  nuisance,  is 
rather  a  luxury  here.  They  enjoy  its  slow  processes, 
as  a  Turk  enjoys  his  prolonged  bath.  The  original 
"  Jarndyce  vs.  Jarndyce  "  was  an  affair  of  a  day,  com- 
pared to  a  Brazilian  lawsuit.  I  know  nothing  from 
experience  of  the  native  medical  practice,  but  if  it  is 
like  their  other  modes  of  doing  business,  it  cannot  be 
easy  for  the  physician  to  determine  upon  his  medicine 
before  the  patient  dies  or  recovers. 

As  for  divinity,  the  seven  years'  study  required  for 
this,  as  well  as  for  law  and  medicine,  at  the  University 
of  San  Paulo,  is  short  enough  for  learning  the  names 
of  all  the  saints,  and  paying  that  attention  to  them 
which  their  worship  requires. 

In  no  country  could  the  "  three  learned  professions  " 
be  more  advantageously  dispensed  with  than  in  this. 
The  law  would  seem  to  be  only  for  vindictive  people, 
who  wish  to  pursue  those  whom  they  hate  even  to  the 
third  and  fourth  generations.  The  medical  profession 
is  much  divided  between  allopathy  and  homoeopathy. 


148  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

The  newspapers  are  full  of  their  discussions,  for 
which  they  must  have  a  great  deal  of  spare  time ; 
meanwhile,  the  people  allow  foreign  enterprise  to 
carry  the  palm  away  from  all  these  disputants. 

More  successful  than  all  their  windy  arguments  on 
one  side  of  the  daily  Jornal  do  Comer  do,  are  the 
announcements  upon  the  other  side,  of  the  wonderful 
"  pilulas  do  Dr.  Ayer,"  and  those  of  Dr.  Holloway, — 
the  Yankee  quack,  by  the  bye,  being  considerably 
ahead,  —  and  of  the  various  "  Sarsaparilla "  com- 
pounds. 

Be  it  remembered  that  this  is  a  land  of  sarsaparilla ; 
and  yet  these  innocents  are  so  gulled,  that,  instead  of 
using  their  own  pure  medicine,  freely  offered  by  Na- 
ture, they  will  pay  almost  any  price  for  imported  mo- 
lasses, water,  and  potash. 

If  the  systems  of  law  and  medicine  are  adapted  to  the 
habits  of  the  people,  doubtless  so  is  that  of  religion.  It 
may  possibly  be  heretical  to  entertain  the  idea,  but  it 
really  seems  to  me  that  systems  of  religion,  like  styles 
of  dress,  articles  of  food  and  drink,  tenements,  per- 
sonal habits,  languages,  and  the  local  conditions  of  life, 
are  adapted  by  the  Creator  to  given  periods  and  times, 
to  various  climates  and  races,  and  that  they  will  con- 
tinue so  to  exist  to  the  end  of  the  world,  as  they  be- 
gan somewhere  very  near  its  commencement. 

Missionaries  believing  in  the  speedy  approach  of  the 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  149 

millennium,  and  considering  themselves  commissioned 
to  hasten  it,  have  been  at  work  in  this  "  field."  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Fletcher  was  one  of  these  pioneer  Protestants. 
He  travelled  about  the  country  occasionally,  collecting 
materials  for  his  book,  and,  as  he  tells  us,  was  in  the 
habit  of  paying  for  his  food  and  lodgings  with  "  the 
bread  of  life,"  by  reading  to  the  fazenderos  and  the 
slaves  from  his  pocket  Testament.  His  success  was 
small,  for  it  is  to  be  feared  that  the  people  have  be- 
lieved as  little  in  his  Testament  as  in  his  book. 

There  are  two  or  three  missionaries  still  occupied 
in  the  hopeless  task  of  converting  the  Brazilians.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Simonton,  who  is  stationed  at  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
is  a  most  enthusiastic  and  laborious  man.  He  has 
acquired  such  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  language 
that  he  uses  it  fluently  in  his  prayers  and  sermons,  and 
publishes  a  weekly  religious  paper  in  Portuguese. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Blackford,  at  San  Paulo,  is  another 
indefatigable  missionary. 

It  is  very  possible,  and  even  probable,  that  Protes- 
tantism may,  by  and  bye,  be  the  prevailing  religion  of 
Brazil ;  but  it  seems  impossible  that  it  should  be  the 
religion  of  this  present  Brazilian  people.  The  whole 
tree  must  be  transplanted.  It  cannot  be  grafted  into 
this  stock.  The  nearest  approach  to  conversion  of 
which  the  Brazilians  are  susceptible  is  reformation 
in  their  own  religion. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Influence  of  the  Catholic  Religion.  —  Its  Power  in  Brazil.  — 
Character  of  its  Ceremonies.  —  Morals  of  Clergy  and 
People.  —  Illustrative  Anecdote. —Mixed  Blood. —  The 
Census.  —  Slaves  Drifting  South-ward.  —  Extent  of  Coffee 
Cultivation.  — Political  Parties.  — A.nti- Slavery  and  Re- 
publicanism. —  Succession  to  the  Throne.  —  Character  of 
the  Emperor. 

THE  Roman  Catholic  religion  is  a  mighty  state 
engine  wherever  it  prevails,  except  in  the 
United  States ;  and  there  it  is  often  a  scarcely  less 
powerful  engine  of  party.  Governments  encourage 
its  superstitious  observances  in  order  to  insure  the 
fealty  of  the  priesthood,  and  to  make  themselves 
stable  by  thus  binding  the  people.  With  us,  a  stand- 
ing army  of  tax  collectors,  postmasters,  and  editors, 
serves  instead  of  priests,  and  they  manifest  an  equally 
blatant  loyalty. 

The  government  of  Brazil  would  not  stand  one  day 
without  the  influence  of  the  clergy.  The  ignorant 
masses  would  be  the  dupes  of  political  adventurers, 
and  instead  of  all  this  harmless  mummery  and  non- 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  151 

sense,  there  would  be  bloodshed  and  hopeless  anar- 
chy. Still,  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  emperor's 
seat  is  not  secure  enough  for  him  to  put  down,  at 
least,  some  of  the  puerilities  and  absurdities.  It  is  a 
humiliating  idea  that  men  should  be  made  idiots  in 
order  to  be  good  subjects. 

We  had  seen  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  in  all 
parts  of  the  world,  and  frequently  observed  how  it 
was  modified  or  intensified  to  suit  national  exigencies. 
We  had  seen  it  in  Rome,  where  the  headquarters  of 
its  ceremonies  are  admitted  to  be  the  headquarters 
of  its  abuses ;  but  nowhere,  excepting  perhaps  in 
Spain,  is  it  so  much  like  child's  play  as  in  Brazil. 
Elsewhere,  sensible  and  educated  men  comply  with 
some  of  its  unimportant  observances,  from  habit  or 
from  interested  motives ;  but  here,  the  most  potent, 
grave,  and  reverend  senhors  "  assist "  with  beauti- 
fully pious  decorum  at  the  wax-doll  exhibitions  and 
performances  of  miracles.  On  these  occasions  not  a 
smile  is  seen,  except  on  the  face  of  a  foreigner,  or 
in  the  sly  twinkle  of  a  priest's  eye. 

The  morals  of  the  clergy  are  such  as  would  be 
considered  depraved  in  any  other  country  than  this. 
But  morals,  like  other  things,  are  comparative.  Little 
hills  would  be  mountains  in  Holland,  and  some  of 
our  mountains  would  be  mole-hills  if  one  stumbled 
over  them  among  the  Andes.  It  is  true  that  the 


152  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

priests  almost  universally  keep  their  mistresses,  that 
they  seduce  many  fair  penitents,  and  are  allowed 
all  sorts  of  intimacies  with  married  ladies,  about 
which  the  husbands  are  not  much  concerned ;  for 
these  people  revel  in  such  beastly  impurities,  that 
little  priestly  sins  like  these  may  be  fairly  looked  upon 
as  venial,  and  even  as  evincing  rather  a  high  standard 
of  morality  in  the  clerical  profession ! 

If  it  is  considered  that  these  remarks  upon  religion 
and  morality  are  overdrawn,  the  reader  is  referred  to 
"  Life  in  Brazil,"  by  Ewbank,  "Le  Bresil  tel  qu'il 
cst"  and  "Les  Femmes  et  les  Mceurs  de  Bresil"  by 
Expilly.  Ewbank  devotes  the  greater  part  of  his 
book  to  the  churches  and  religious  observances  in  Rio 
de  Janeiro.  He  speaks,  as  I  do,  from  observation  ; 
but  his  observation  was  more  general  and  his  oppor- 
tunities more  extended  than  mine ;  and  his  accounts 
are  intensified  in  proportion.  They  are  admitted  to 
be  true. 

Expilly  had  seen  some  things  in  Paris.  Neverthe- 
less, this  not  over-sensitive  Frenchman  was  shocked 
by  what  he  saw  in  Brazil.  Here  is  one  of  his  stories 
of  an  enterprising  Portuguese.  In  a  condensed  and 
expurgated  translation  I  venture  to  repeat  it. 

The  man  was  married,  and  was  very  poor  —  all 
his  property  consisting  of  a  negro,  a  negress,  and  a 
milch  cow.  He  undertook  to  make  money  system- 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  153 

atically,  by  the  increase  of  his  "  stock."  Even  with 
the  aid  of  the  cow  in  weaning,  he  could  not  expect 
more  than  one  black  harvest  in  a  year.  But  mulattoes 
are  as  valuable  as  negroes.  Think,  then,  by  what 
double  prostitution  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  two  in 
each  season  —  one  being  the  half  of  his  own  flesh  and 
blood,  the  other  belonging  in  the  same  proportion  to 
his  wife  !  So  it  went  on,  year  after  year,  the  children 
being  sold  when  of  suitable  age ;  and  by  this  com- 
merce the  worthy  couple  lived  and  prospered !  It 
does  not  appear  that  the  affair  "  excited  remark"  in 
the  neighborhood. 

Some  years  ago,  when  a  census  was  to  be  taken, 
it  was  proposed  to  divide  the  classes  of  the  commu- 
nity, and  to  enumerate  separately  the  white,  black, 
and  mixed.  The  Brazilians  themselves  laughed  at 
the  imbecile  who  wasted  his  ink  in  the  suggestion. 
"  Mixed  !  "  There  is  black  blood  everywhere  stirred 
in  ;  compounded  over  arid  over  again,  like  an  apothe- 
cary's preparation.  African  blood  runs  freely  through 
marble  halls,  as  well  as  in  the  lowest  gutters,  and 
Indian  blood  swells  the  general  current.  There  is 
no  distinction  between  white  and  black,  or  any  of 
the  intermediate  colors,  which  can  act  as  a  bar  to- 
social  intercourse  or  political  advancement. 

The  whole  population  of  Brazil,  according  to  the 
last  census,  was  9,083,755,  of  whom  1,357,416  were 


154  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

slaves ;  of  the  remaining  75726,339,  called  "  free,"  it 
was  wisely  determined  to  make  no  further  classifi- 
cation. 

The  warm  and  cold  regions  of  the  southern  hemi- 
sphere being  the  opposites  of  ours,  it  would  naturally 
be  supposed  that  the  majority  of  the  slaves  would  be 
found  in  the  north.  It  has  been  always  conceded 
that  if  slave  labor  is  profitable  anywhere,  it  is  so  in 
the  hottest  districts  of  a  country.  Thus  it  was  proved 
to  be  in  the  United  States,  where  it  was  first  abol- 
ished in  the  north,  from  motives  of  economy  rather 
than  of  humanity.  In  Brazil  it  would  at  first  appear 
that  the  rule  of  climate  is  not  the  same  ;  but  the  exist- 
ence of  a  greater  number  of  slaves  in  the  more  tem- 
perate part  of  the  empire  is  easily  explained. 

The  northern  provinces  have  partially  freed  them- 
selves from  slavery ;  not  because  it  was  not  a  paying 
institution  to  them,  but  because  it  paid  so  much  better 
in  the  middle  and  southern  parts  of  the  country. 
Therefore  the  temptation  to  sell  their  slaves  wasv  irre- 
sistible to  the  northerners,  who  are  now  manifesting 
a  great  deal  of  virtuous  indignation  at  the  sins  of 
the  people  who  paid  them  so  liberally  for  what,  at 
the  time,  they  were  perfectly  willing  to  consider  as 
"  property." 

There  is  consequently  a  political  anti-slavery  party. 
It  is  constantly  pressing  its  views  on  the  government, 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  155 

and  will  doubtless  be  ultimately  successful.  It  is 
made  up  from  the  provinces  around  the  equator, 
extending  from  Amazonas  to  Pernambuco  ;  while  the 
more  southern  districts  of  Bahia  and  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
as  well  as  the  almost  temperate  regions  from  San 
Paulo  to  the  borders  of  Paraguay,  still  hold  on  to  the 
"  institution"  with  South  Carolinian  pertinacity.  In 
our  contest  both  sides  appealed  to  the  Bible.  Here 
the  church  furnishes  arguments  for  either. 

Brazil,  however,  has  not  such  difficulties  to  over- 
come as  those  encountered  in  the  United  States. 
There  is  no  appalling  question  of  races  to  meet —  no 
such  problem  here  as  we  are  now  solving  —  whether 
distinct  races  shall  live  harmoniously,  working,  vot- 
ing, and  governing  together,  or  whether  the  weaker 
race  shall  succumb  before  the  superior.  Here  the 
general  fusion,  already  so  far  advanced,  will  be  com- 
plete, and  we  may  predict  the  annihilation  of  the 
whole  unnatural  mixture,  rather  than  that  of  either 
of  its  ingredients. 

The  diminution  of  slavery  in  the  northern  prov- 
inces, as  has  been  observed,  was  owing  to  the  demand 
for  negroes  farther  south.  This  was  occasioned  by  a 
sudden  revolution  of  the  taste  of  the  world  in  favor 
of  coffee,  not  long  ago.  Many  of  us  can  remember 
the  time  when  the  chief  supplies  of  this  article  came 
from  Java  and  Sumatra,  A  very  little  was  derived 


156  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

from  Mocha,  and  a  larger  quantity,  though  of  an  infe- 
rior quality,  was  grown  in  the  West  India  Islands 
and  on  the  Spanish  Main. 

At  that  time  sugar  was  the  chief  staple  of  Brazil. 
It  was  made  in  all  parts  of  the  empire  where  the  cli- 
mate would  allow  the  cultivation  of  the  cane.  Then 
came  a  time  of  great  depression  for  coffee,  so  that  the 
price  for  which  it  was  sold  was  not  sufficient  to  pay 
for  the  cost  of  raising  it.  The  production  was  in 
advance  of  the  consumption.  The  cultivation,  ac- 
cordingly, was  very  much  diminished.  So  great  was 
the  reaction  that  coffee  soon  became  scarce,  and  con- 
sequently dear.  The  world  seemed  to  become  aware 
of  its  loss,  and  then  began  to  consider  what  was  be- 
fore a  luxury,  to  be  a  prime  necessity. 

No  other  country  possesses  such  advantages  of  cli- 
mate and  soil,  and  of  nearness  to  American  and 
European  markets  combined,  for  the  cultivation  and 
sale  of  coffee,  as  Brazil.  All  at  once  the  middle  and 
southern  provinces  were  planted  with  coffee  trees,  to 
the  almost  entire  abandonment  of  sugar-cane  ;  so  that 
now  these  districts  are  supplied  from  the  north  with 
the  sugar  they  require  for  domestic  use. 

In  the  year  1860  the  value  of  coffee  raised  in  Brazil 
was  $40,000,000.  During  our  civil  war  there  was  a 
falling  off  in  the  production,  owing  partly  to  the  fact 
that  the  south-western  states  of  the  Union,  the  great 


TEN   MONTHS   IN    BRAZIL.  157 

consumers  of  Rio  coffee,  were  shut  up.  For  a  long 
time  the  people  of  the  northern  and  eastern  states 
consumed  very  little  of  it.  Nothing  but  its  cheapness 
has  at  length  reconciled  us  to  it  in  a  degree.  By  and 
bye,  when  we  become  accustomed  to  it,  we  may 
perhaps  prefer  it  to  Java  coffee,  as  they  now  do  in 
the  west. 

The  increased  demand  has  so  stimulated  the  pro- 
duction that  it  has  become  difficult  to  obtain  labor. 
The  domestic  slave  trade  is  consequently  very  brisk, 
and  the  negroes  are  withdrawn  more  and  more  from 
the  northern  provinces.  The  foreign  traffic  has  been 
effectually  abolished.  Not  a  cargo  has  been  landed 
on  these  shores  for  ten  years,  so  severe  and  so  rigidly 
enforced  is  the  penalty.  The  importation  of  negroes 
was  connived  at  before,  but  Northern  influence  will 
permit  it  no  longer. 

The  anti-slavery  party  is  already  a  disturbing  po- 
litical element,  which  will  accomplish  its  work  by 
fusing  with  one  of  the  great  parties.  Then  it  will  be 
no  longer  a  servant  or  an  accomplice,  but  will  aspire 
to  the  rank  of  master  and  principal,  as  it  has  done  in 
the  United  States. 

Besides  the  anti-slavery  party,  there  are  now  three 
others  in  Brazil,  all  very  powerful  and  nearly  balanced 
— the  conservative,  the  radical,  and  the  republican. 
The  two  former  are  imperialist.  They  both  favor  a 


158  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

continuation  of  the  monarchy.  One  is  what  would  be 
called  in  England  "  Tory."  The  term  "  Whig"  to  a 
certain  extent  would  apply  to  the  latter. 

The  "  Republican  "  party  is  not  so  named  for  clap- 
trap or  ad  captandum,  but  it  is  bona  fide  what  the 
term  signifies.  It  proposes  to  unseat  the  emperor ;  to 
do  away  with  all  titles  and  all  insignia  of  royalty  or 
nobility ;  to  take  —  as  all  the  rest  of  South  America 
and  Mexico  have  done  —  the  great  republic  of  the 
North  for  its  exemplar.  This  party,  again,  is  sub- 
divided between  immediate  and  ultimate  republicans. 
The  former  are  for  upsetting  the  throne  at  once,  and 
tumbling  the  emperor  off.  The  latter  are  willing 
that  he  should  remain  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  and  then 
they  propose  to  overturn  his  seat  before  his  daughter 
has  time  to  climb  upon  it.  If  they  play  this  game 
they  must  be  very  prompt  in  their  operations.  For 
should  that  young  lady  once  get  established  there,  her 
enemies  will  regret  their  temerity  or  their  delay. 

The  only  surviving  children  of  the  royal  family  are 
Isabella,  wife  of  the  Count  d'Eu,  a  grandson  of 
Louis  Philippe,  and  Leopoldina,  wife  of  the  Duke 
de  Saxe,  one  of  that  great  German  family  whose  pe- 
culiar avocation  seems  to  be  the  renovation  of  effete 
royalty. 

While  we  were  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  the  youngest 
sister  became  the  mother  of  a  little  prince.  The 


TEN    MONTHS    IX    BRAZIL.  159 

event  was  joyfully  announced  by  the  ringing  of  bells 
and  the  firing  of  cannon.  There  was  greater  excite- 
ment than  the  occasion  seemed  to  demand,  for  the 
baby  is  a  very  distant  heir  to  the  throne,  even  if  the 
throne  shall  have  an  heir.  Isabella  is  the  legal  suc- 
cessor. In  case  of  her  death  without  issue,  the  crown 
will  be  inherited  by  her  sister.  The  little  prince 
must  therefore  rely  not  only  on  the  poverty  of  French 
stock,  but  upon  the  death  of  his  aunt  and  his  mother, 
who  are  both  very  young  ladies,  in  the  enjoyment  of 
excellent  health.  By  the  time  that  old  age  carries 
them  away,  the  prince  himself  may  die,  or,  what  is 
more  likely,  the  monarchy  may  cease  to  exist. 

The  emperor  has  a  merited  reputation  for  scientific 
attainments  and  philosophy.  He  is  an  admirer  and 
personal  friend,  as  well  he  may  be,  of  Agassiz,  who 
has  been  with  him  daily  at  the  palace,  giving  him 
an  account  of  his  researches  on  the  banks  of  the 
Amazon. 

We  attended  some  of  the  professor's  lectures,  which 
were  delivered  before  a  large  audience  in  the  univer- 
sity hall.  The  royal  family  were  always  present,  and 
partook,  in  the  highest  degree,  of  the  general  inter- 
est. Their  eyes  were  never  diverted  from  the  lecturer 
or  his  black-board.  The  expression  on  the  face  of 
the  Princess  Isabella  was  .intense.  It  is  far  from 
being  pretty,  for  it  is  masculine ;  but,  if  physiognomy 


l6o  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

tells  anything,  it  speaks  of  intelligence,  energy,  and 
such  firmness  as  can  be  dispensed  with  in  the  conjugal 
relation,  but  is  invaluable  in  affairs  of  state.  It  is 
Elizabethan.  • 

Upon  some  points  the  emperor  is  obstinate  ;  but  his 
general  policy  is  rather  of  the  laisser-faire  descrip- 
tion. There  are  many  things  going  on  which  he  does 
not  see  because  he  turns  his  head  the  other  way. 
When  anything  perplexes  him,  he  rushes  into  his 
library  or  his  laboratory,  or  among  his  bugs  and  fishes, 
and  remains  till  the  storm  blows  over  and  the  discord- 
ant political  atoms  settle  down,  after  the  little  whirl- 
wind has  subsided.  If  he  had  merely  a  few  scamps 
to  deal  with,  he  doubtless  has  resolution  enough  to 
bring  them  to  order ;  but  where  there  are  such  univer- 
sal rascality  and  corruption,  he  thinks  it  scarcely 
worth  his  while  to  combat  a  system  which  he  can- 
not overcome. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

The  War  tvitk  Paraguay.  —  Disappointment  and  Discourage- 
ment. —  Religious  Toleration.  —  Festival  of  St.  George.  — 
A  Military  Saint.  —  Rank  and  Pay.  —  His  Saintship 
Tried  and  Ptinished.  —  The  Emperor  in  Farce.  —  Brazil- 
ian Superstitions. 

THE  war  in  which  Brazil  is  now  engaged  was  un- 
dertaken with  high  hopes  of  immediate  success. 
The  activity  of  the  emperor  raised  the  enthusiasm  of 
the  people,  and  his  personal  presence  gave  courage  to 
the  army.  For  more  than  two  years,  with  alternate 
successes  and  disasters,  this  war  has  dragged  its  slow 
length  along,  and  at  the  present  time  appearances 
are  very  discouraging.  The  Brazilians  regret  that 
they  undertook  it,  but  they  see  no  honorable  way  of 
withdrawing  without  acknowledging  a  defeat.  Even 
were  they  to  accomplish  the  object  of  increasing  their 
territory,  and  could  they  succeed  in  trampling  Paraguay 
utterly  under  foot,  they  would  be  poorly  compensated 
for  all  their  loss  of  blood  and  treasure.  The  money 
that  has  been  expended  as  much  for  "  shoddy"  and  pri- 
vate emolument  as  for  the  war,  might  have  been  better 
ii 


1 62  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

invested  in  the  internal  improvements  so  much  needed. 
War  is  generally  a  bad  speculation  for  nations.  They 
always  suffer,  while  individuals  on  both  sides  are  the 
gainers.  Brazil  has  made  this  discovery. 

The  emperor  still  goes  about,  examining  the  dock- 
yards, the  ships,  and  the  machine-shops,  while  there  is 
an  air  of  dejection  upon  his  face  painful  to  behold. 
He  is  a  learned  man  ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that 
all  his  knowledge  is  derived  from  books  and  from 
foreigners,  who  are  generally  unwilling  to  give  him 
any  information  that  would  be  disagreeable,  however 
useful  it  might  be  to  him.  He  has  had  no  opportu- 
nity for  observation  abroad.  He  has  told  Professor 
Agassiz  that  the  great  desire  of  his  heart  is  to  visit  the 
United  States,  and  that  he  hopes  to  do  so  when  this- 
war  is  over. 

Although  a  strict  Catholic  himself,  he  tolerates  all 
religions.  Still,  he  declares  that  there  must  be  one  for 
the  state  ;  and  what  religion  can  be  better  adapted  to 
Brazil  than  his  own?  Certainly  no  other.  A  good 
son  of  the  church,  he  is  submissive  to  the  priesthood. 
In  return  for  his  obedience,  they  exercise  their  influ- 
ence over  the  people,  keeping  them  loyal  to  the 
government. 

One  of  the  great  holidays  is  the  festa  of  St. 
George,  the  patron  saint  of  the  empire  in  general. 
Each  city  has  a  sort  of  deputy  patron,  whose  worship 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  163 

is  duly  celebrated  on  his  particular  day.  St.  Sebastian 
has  especial  charge  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  has  his 
great  day,  like  the  rest.  But  when  the  annual  feast  of 
St.  George  returns,  every  town  and  hamlet,  from  the 
Amazonas  to  the  Rio  Grande,  has  its  greatest  proces- 
sion of  the  season.  The  saint  has  his  headquarters  at 
the  capital. 

I  do  not  know  if  this  St.  George  is  the  same  that 
has  taken  England  under  his  protection.  Here  he  is 
Colonel  St.  George ;  for,  although  he  died  and  was 
buried  ages  ago,  and  Brazil  is  now  enjoying  the 
advantage  of  his  intercession,  his  earthly  image  holds 
the  rank  of  colonel  in  the  army,  and  draws  a  yearly 
pay  of  three  thousand  five  hundred  dollars !  Of 
course  the  priests  draw  it  for  him  ;  and  they  pretend 
that  it  is  all  invested  in  jewels  and  dress  for  the  idol. 

Until  the  present  year  this  buckram  saint  has  been 
mounted  on  horseback  and  paraded  through  the  city, 
following  the  "  body  of  God,"  for  his  day  is  likewise 
the  day  of  Corpus  Christi.  To  our  great  disappoint- 
ment, this  part  of  the  ceremony  was  not  observed.  It 
would  be  charitable  to  account  for  the  omission  by 
attributing  it  to  the  advancement  of  light  and  knowl- 
edge ;  whereas  it  is  to  be  explained  by  a  greater 
absurdity  than  the  performance  itself. 

Last  year  the  attendant  buckled  Colonel  St.  George's 
sword  so  carelessly  that  it  dropped  and  seriously 


164  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

wounded  the  toe  of  a  priest.  The  aid-de-camp  and 
the  saint  were  both  tried  for  the  offence,  and  both 
were  found  guilty.  The  officer  was  sentenced  to  im- 
prisonment for  three  years,  and  the  punishment  of  the 
saint  was  confinement  in  his  closet  and  prohibition 
from  appearing  on  parade  in  the  procession  of  Corpus 
Christi ! 

As  the  expenses  of  the  war  are  heavy  just  now,  it 
might  have  been  better  to  stop  the  wooden  colonel's 
pay  ;  but  this  idea  was  far  from  occurring  to  the  priest- 
hood. 

So  the  procession  lost  one  of  its  chief  attractions  for 
us.  It  was  something,  however,  to  see  the  emperor 
in  a  new  character  —  something,  too,  unpleasant  and 
revolting. 

It  was  a  blazing  day  in  May.  Long  before  noon 
the  procession  began  to  form  in  the  streets.  This  was 
composed  of  the  military  and  of  all  the  orders  of 
ecclesiastical  and  lay  brotherhoods.  Every  individual 
was  bareheaded,  and  carried  a  lighted  torch,  the  flame 
of  which  was  scarcely  distinguishable  in  the  intense 
glare  of  the  sun.  The  streets  and  balconies  were 
crowded  with  broiling  spectators. 

Soon  after  noon  the  procession  moved  along 
through  the  Rua  Direita,  the  Broadway  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  At  its  head  we  could  see,  rising  and  fall- 
ing, a  great  silk  awning,  preceded  by  boys  swinging 


TEN  MONTHS   IN  BRAZIL.  165 

censers  of  incense.  Underneath  it  walked  the  arch- 
bishop, the  canopy  being  held  over  his  head  by  the 
emperor,  the  Count  d'Eu,  and  the  ministers  of  state, 
all  bareheaded.  This  humiliating  act  was  performed 
to  show  the  obedience  of  the  civil  to  the  ecclesiastical 
power.  We  were  looking  on  from  the  balcony  of  the 
hotel,  Professor  Agassiz  standing  among  the  specta- 
tors. As  the  emperor  passed,  he  looked  up  with  the 
most  serio-comic  expression  that  can  be  imagined. 
It  seemed  to  say,  "  You  see,  my  friend,  what  I  have 
to  do  ;  but  I  am  rather  ashamed  of  myself."  He  must 
have  been  glad  that  St.  George  was  out  of  sight, 
undergoing  his  punishment. 

The  Brazilians  treat  their  saints  with  a  great  deal  of 
consideration,  so  long  as  the  saints  are  well  disposed 
towards  them,  listening  to  their  prayers,  healing  their 
diseases,  and  prospering  their  business  affairs.  Then 
the  Brazilian  is  a  grateful  being.  He  adorns  the 
shrine  of  his  benefactor,  dresses  his  image  in  costly 
robes,  presents  it  with  jewelry,  and  worships  it  with 
the  most  becoming  devotion.  But  if  the  saint  is  un- 
grateful, the  Brazilian  knows  how  to  be  ungrateful, 
too.  If  he  or  any  one  of  his  family  afflicted  with 
disease  does  not  speedily  recover,  or  if  his  specula- 
tions have  an  unprofitable  aspect,  he  will  pray  the 
good  saint  with  all  earnestness  to  turn  the  tide  of  evil ; 
he  will  pray  up  to  a  certain  point  —  the  very  point 


l66  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

of  despair.  Then  comes  a  revulsion.  Prayers  are 
now  exchanged  for  curses,  and  genuflections  for 
square-toed  kicks.  Thus,  literally,  is  the  saint  pun- 
ished for  his  obduracy. 

St.  Antonio  is  the  most  general  saint  of  the  coun- 
try. He  has  more  people  called  by  his  name  than 
any  other ;  consequently  his  image  is  more  com- 
monly to  be  seen  in  their  houses  and  shops.  These 
images  fare  well  or  ill  according  to  the  health  and 
prosperity  of  their  owners.  As  trouble  in  this  world 
is  supposed  to  be  more  than  a  balance  for  joy, 
the  St.  Antonios  upon  an  average  have  rather  a 
hard  lot.  A  very  common  punishment  meted  out  to 
the  saint  is  to  strip  him  of  his  dress  and  ornaments, 
and  then  to  sink  him  in  the  well.  If  the  sick  person 
recovers,  or  the  speculation  takes  a  favorable  turn,  the 
saint  is  pulled  up,  has  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  and  finer 
jewels  than  before,  with  plenty  of  apologies  for  his 
bad  treatment;  and  penances  are  undergone  therefor. 
If  otherwise,  —  if  the  sick  man  dies,  or  the  money  is 
lost,  —  then  the  saint  remains  in  the  well,  and  is  very 
liable  to  have  his  head  smashed  with  a  big  stone. 

The  church  in  Brazil,  holding  firmly  to  all  the 
original  superstitions  of  Rome,  has  allowed  much  of 
the  African  element  to  mingle  with  religion,  as  the 
people  have  mixed  it  with  their  blood.  It  adapts 
itself  to  the  ignorance  and  weak  intellects  of  the 


TEN    MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  167 

blacks,  and  allows  them  to  practise  charms  and  rites 
of  Fetish  worship,  which  are  quite  as  innocent  in  their 
way  as  are  many  of  the  genuine  old  ceremonies  and 
dogmas.  The  negroes  are  permitted  to  worship  black 
Virgins,  as  being  more  to  their  taste. 

There  is  a  favorite  and  very  pretty  white  image  in 
the  Church  of  the  Gloria.  She  has  performed  many 
astonishing  miracles,  and  pilgrimages  are  made  to  her 
shrine  from  distant  parts  of  the  empire.  She  was  a 
patroness  of  the  mother  of  the  present  emperor. 
Many  times  did  the  empress  visit  her,  to  be  healed  of 
her  diseases,  and  the  Virgin  was  very  considerate,  pay- 
ing attention  to  her  most  trifling  ailments.  At  last  a 
serious  illness  seized  upon  the  empress,  so  that  she 
was  too  ill  to  visit  the  temple.  A  council  was  held 
by  the  clergy,  to  determine  upon  the  propriety  of 
inviting  the  Virgin  to  leave  the  church  and  visit  the 
palace.  After  much  debate,  it  was  decided,  that,  for 
the  sake  of  royalty,  the  innovation  might  be  permitted. 
Accordingly,  with  all  delicate  attention,  as  well  as 
with  all  pomp  and  ceremony,  the  removal  was  accom- 
plished, and  the  Virgin  returned  the  many  calls  of 
the  empress.  But  mark  how  fearfully  she  resented  the 
insult  thus  offered  to  her  dignity.  The  empress  died  ! 

Certainly,  in  one  sense  of  the  term,  the  Brazilians 
may  be  called  a  religious  people.  Yet  it  can  hardly 
be  supposed  that  the  better  educated  classes  believe  in 


1 68  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

the  efficacy  of  all  this  mummery.  Most  of  these  may 
be  said  to  be  infidels  at  heart,  while  they  are  super- 
stitious in  conscience.  As  children,  they,  like  all 
children,  are  believers ;  and  though  in  mature  years 
they  sometimes  go  to  the  opposite  extreme,  the  im- 
pressions of  childhood  are  seldom  entirely  effaced. 
Thus  the  Brazilian  through  life  practises  the  forms  of 
his  early  faith,  entertaining  the  possibility  of  their 
efficacy,  and  seeking  consolation  from  them  in  the 
hour  of  death.  The  selfishness  of  their  religion  is 
exemplified  ridiculously  in  their  prayers  for  deliver- 
ance when  in  trouble.  In  such  cases,  in  order  to  be 
sure  of  help  from  some  quarter,  the  Brazilian  ad- 
dresses himself  to  the  sources  both  of  good  and  of  evil. 
In  a  storm  at  sea,  or  when  passing  over  a  dangerous 
bridge,  he  constantly  cries,  "  Good  God,  good  devil ! 
Good  devil,  good  God !  "  besides  invoking  the  aid  of 
any  saints  who  may  occur  to  his  recollection.  When 
all  is  safe  again,  he  is  very  forgetful  of  his  deliverers ; 
and  well  he  may  be,  as  the  debt  to  them  all  would  be 
too  large  for  him  to  pay. 

Occasionally,  however,  his  sore  distress  wrings  from 
him  a  vow.  True,  when  the  danger  has  passed,  he 
regrets  his  rashness ;  but  his  superstition  makes  him 
honest  in  its  performance.  A  few  years  ago,  the  cap- 
tain and  crew  of  a  brig  promised  the  Virgin  that,  if 
she  would  keep  their  mainsail  from  being  blown  away, 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  169 

they  would  present  it  at  her  shrine  on  arrival  at  Rio 
de  Janeiro.  The  Virgin  having  kindly  complied,  the 
sail  was  unbent  from  the  yard  and  lugged  by  these 
devotees  through  the  streets  of  the  city  to  the  door  of 
the  chapel.  But  the  Virgin  having  no  particular  use 
for  a  brig's  mainsail,  an  arrangement  in  the  way  of 
commutation  was  made  between  the  captain  and  the 
priests.  The  sail  was  redeemed  for  a  moderate  sum 
of  milreas,  and  was  returned  to  the  brig,  where  it  was 
more  useful  than  it  would  have  been  in  a  church. 
Many  shrines  are  ornamented  with  curious  memorials 
of  gratitude  for  recovery  from  sickness,  and  for  preser- 
vation from  accidents,  attributable  to  the  special  inter- 
position of  particular  Virgins.  There  are  very  many 
funny  and  disproportioned  pictures  of  beds  and  their 
occupants,  of  capsizing  boats  and  of  runaway  horses, 
occasioning  people  to  be  spilled  upon  the  water  and 
upon  the  ground.  Legs,  arms,  and  skulls  have  been 
broken  ;  but  they  have  been  mended  by  the  Virgin  — 
with  the  aid  of  a  surgeon.  Accordingly,  fac-similes  of 
these  various  parts  of  the  body,  done  in  plaster  and  in 
clay,  are  among  the  chapel  ornaments.  Under  each 
is  a  highly  descriptive  picture,  and  there  is  frequently 
a  detailed  account  of  the  perilous  circumstances  in 
which  the  individual  was  placed,  and  from  which  he 
was  miraculously  rescued.  The  perusal  of  these 
pious  inscriptions  was  often  a  source  of  great  enter- 
tainment. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

Religion  as  an  Amusement.  —  Habits  of  Brazilian  Ladies.  — 
Female  Education. —  Women  in  Low  Estimation. — A. 
Comical  Mistake.  —  The  Steward's  Blunder.  —  No  Fish 
on  Friday.  —  A  Good-natured  Bishop.  —  Light  Penance. 
—  Professors  and  Students.  —  Source  of  Brazilian  Vice.  — 
Theatricals  in  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

THERE  is  still  another  view  to  be  taken  of  reli- 
gion in  Brazil  —  its  use  as  an  amusement.  Rio 
de  Janeiro  would  be  the  dullest  city  on  earth  without 
it.  The  men  in  their  mournful  black  clothes,  which 
they  so  much  affect,  would  grope  about  their  business 
in  the  daytime  and  retire  to  their  dens  at  night,  and 
the  women  would  merely  walk  from  their  beds  to 
their  windows  and  from  their  windows  to  their  beds. 
But  religion  comes  as  a  relief  to  such  monotony.  The 
many  chimes  of  the  bells  give  notice  that  some  solemn 
farce  is  being  enacted  every  day,  and  the  frequent 
holidays  and  festas  bring  out  the  whole  population  into 
the  squares  and  the  churches.  Processions  are  as 
popular  and  as  common  as  with  us  on  the  eve  of  a 
presidential  election.  In  them  may  often  be  seen  little 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  171 

children  dressed  as  angels ;  and  very  pretty,  though 
somewhat  dusky,  are  these  tiny  sprites,  as  they  dance 
airily  along. 

It  is  only  upon  feast  days  that  the  ladies  show  them- 
selves much  abroad.  Sometimes  they  are  seen  in  the 
cool  of  the  evening,  enjoying  the  universal  feminine 
luxury  of  shopping ;  but  they  are  generally  little  in- 
clined to  leave  their  homes  and  their  windows.  It  is 
a  common  practice  to  send  to  the  shops  for  such  arti- 
cles as  may  be  needed,  that  they  may  make  their 
selection  without  the  trouble  of  leaving  their  houses. 
Although  laziness  originated  this  custom,  it  has  the 
merit  of  economy,  induced  by  freedom  from  tempta- 
tion. The  Brazilian  ladies  spend  most  of  their  time 
in  leaning  upon  their  elbows,  gazing  listlessly  into  the 
streets,  or  exhibiting  themselves  coquettishly  within 
the  half-closed  blinds,  tantalizing  those  who  pass. 
Mirrors  are  often  ingeniously  placed  at  the  sides  of 
the  windows,  so  that  the  old  and  the  ugly  can  see 
without  being  seen.  The  young  and  the  pretty  do  not 
so  much  resort  to  this  device. 

More  attention  is  now  paid  to  female  education  than 
formerly ;  yet  there  is  room  for  a  great  advance  in  this 
respect.  At  present,  even  the  better  classes  are 
generally  proficient  only  in  music  and  in  dancing. 
Perhaps  their  taste  for  music  is  in  a  great  degree 
attributable  to  the  African  element,  and  the  graceful 


172  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

voluptuousness  of  their  postures  in  the  dance  may  be 
owing  to  the  same  cause.  The  consequences  of  such 
general  ignorance  among  them  are  either  a  charming 
simplicity  of  manner,  or  an  extreme  of  vice  such  as 
may  be  incredible. 

The  Brazilian  women  are  almost  universally  re- 
garded as  playthings,  and  as  the  means  of  sensual  en- 
joyment. They  advance  the  fortunes  of  their  parents 
by  being  sold  in  the  matrimonial  market  when  they 
should  be  at  school.  Differences  of  thirty  or  forty 
years  between  husbands  and  wives  are  not  uncom- 
mon. Fidelity  is  promised  at  the  altar  as  a  matter  of 
form,  but  its  observance  is  scarcely  expected.  The 
husband  is  allowed  carte  blanche,  or,  better  to  express 
it  in  an  allowable  pun,  carte  noire,  in  these  matters. 
At  the  same  time  he  is  very  jealous  of  his  wife,  as  he 
richly  deserves  to  have  reason  to  be. 

On  our  first  acquaintance  with  the  business  of 
carrying  passengers  upon  the  coast,  there  were  some 
ludicrous  mistakes.  I  once  incurred  -the  violent  anger 
of  an  old  army  officer,  who,  with  his  family,  had 
been  among  our  passengers,  by  inquiring  after  the 
health  of  his  wife.  Thus  we  learned  that  what  is 
considered  ordinary  politeness  in  the  United  States  is 
excessive  rudeness  in  Brazil.  At  another  time  we 
left  Santos  with  a  large  number  of  passengers  on 
board.  Among  them  was  a  gentleman  of  about  sixty 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  173 

years  of  age,  accompanied  by  two  little  girls —  one  of 
them  thirteen  years  old,  and  the  other  two  or  three 
years  younger.  When  the  sea  became  somewhat 
rough,  the  gentleman  retired  to  his  cabin,  under  the 
influence  of  sea-sickness,  leaving  the  children  upon 
deck.  Devoting  myself  to  their  amusement,  I  took 
them  upon  my  knees  and  told  them  stories  about  home, 
with  my  thoughts  wandering  there,  as  I  played  with 
their  silken  tresses  and  enjoyed  their  pretty  smiles. 
In  the  midst  of  this  pleasant  occupation  the  gentle- 
man came  upon  deck.  With  an  expression  of  face' 
which  I  at  first  attributed  to  the  fiend  of  sea-sickness, 
he  gazed  upon  us  for  a  moment,  and  then  inquired, 
in  a  singularly  harsh  voice,  "  Captain,  are  you  mar- 
ried?" "  Yes,  indeed,  senhor,"  I  replied,  "and  have 
a  daughter  two  or  three  years  older  than  your  eldest 
little  girl,  here.  She  reminds  me  of  her  very  much," 
I  added,  as  I  patted  the  lovely  child  upon  the  cheek. 
"  That  little  girl,  sir  !  "  exclaimed  my  indignant  passen- 
ger, with  a  severe  emphasis  on  little  girl,  "  that  little 
girl  is  my  wife  !  "  I  immediately  provided  a  chair  for 
the  gentleman's  wife  and  another  for  her  sister.  Soon 
afterwards  the  party  went  below,  and  the  steward 
reported  that  there  was  a  great  noise  in  their  cabin. 

That  steward,  by  the  bye,  was  an  excellent  fellow ; 
but  his  negligence  on  one  occasion  might  have  caused 
us  serious  trouble,  had  not  the  easy  conscience  of  an 


1 74  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

ecclesiastic  befriended  us.  We  happened  to  sail  on 
Friday,  and  the  steward  had  forgotten  the  day  of 
the  week.  It  was  particularly  unfortunate,  as  it  oc- 
curred in  the  season  of  Lent.  Descending  to  dinner, 
it  was  found  that  his  otherwise  well-spread  table 
lacked  the  great  essential,  fish,  which,  variously  served, 
should  have  been  the  basis  of  everything.  To  add  to 
my  mortification,  a  bishop  was  on  board,  occupying 
the  chair  at  my  right.  There  was  no  remedy  but  an 
honest  confession  and  a  cry  of  peccavi,  coupled  with  a 
•malediction  upon  the  unlucky  steward,  who,  a  Catholic 
himself,  stood  trembling  under  the  enormity  of  his 
offence.  The  bishop  assumed  a  serious  air  ;  but,  after 
a  moment's  reflection,  his  face  beamed  joyously  as  he 
exclaimed,  "  Then  I  must  give  indulgence  to  myself 
and  to  all  the  passengers  ;  but  you  will  suffer  for  it  by 
and  bye.  But  stop ! "  he  added.  "  You  may  as 
well  suffer  now.  I  will  inflict  penance  upon  you. 
Give  us  all  champagne ! "  The  penance  was  per- 
formed with  alacrity,  and  this  proved  one  of  the  jol- 
liest  dinners  ever  discussed  on  board  the  "  Tejuca." 

As  our  route  was  that  of  direct  communication 
between  the  capital  and  the  city  of  San  Paulo,  where 
the  great  literary  institutions  of  the  empire  are  lo- 
cated, the  professors  and  students  of  the  college  were 
frequently  going  and  returning  with  us.  The  latter 
were  from  the  elite  of  Brazilian  families,  and  were  a 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  175 

jolly,  rollicking  set  of  fellows,  yet  gentlemanly  in 
their  manners,  and  evidently  well  taught,  many  of 
them  being  proficients  in  the  classics  and  in  mathe- 
matics. Most  of  the  secular  students  knew  little,  and 
cared  less,  about  religion ;  whereas  the  young,  men 
intended  for  the  church  were  trained  to  their  calling 
so  entirely,  that  they  were  ignorant  of  all  else  beyond 
ecclesiastical  observances  and  the  monk  Latin  of  the 
Breviary.  On  being  reproached  by  one  of  his  fellow- 
passengers  for  their  general  ignorance  of  what  does 
not  immediately  concern  religion,  a  priest  told  us  a 
story  which  conveyed  a  fair  retort.  There  is  a  town 
in  the  interior  called  Belem,  or  Bethlehem.  The  di- 
vinity student  said  that  he  had  found  one  of  the  best 
mathematicians  in  San  Paulo  so  ignorant  of  religion 
that  he  was  obliged  to  inform  him  where  our  Savior 
was  born.  "  Ah,"  said  the  youth  who  lived  in  a 
polygon,  —  "  ah,  yes,  I  supposed  he  was  a  Brazilian  !  " 
The  clerical  students  are  frequently  of  questionable 
morality,  and  not  unfrequently  of  unquestionable  im- 
morality. It  may  be  said,  in  extenuation  of  their  most 
common  vice,  that  it  is  hard  for  any  system  of 
religion  to  hold  men  in  restraint  when  it  is  opposed 
by  human  nature  in  a  tropical  climate.  Chastity  in 
New  England  is  not  so  high  a  virtue  as  it  would  be 
in  Brazil,  if  it  existed  here,  which  it  certainly  does 
not,  to  any  considerable  extent,  in  men  or  women,  or 


176  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

children  who  can  walk.  A  clergyman  once  came  on 
board  accompanied  by  his  son,  and  the  old  gentleman 
seemed  to  be  as  highly  respected  as  if  he  had  denied 
the  relationship. 

It  would  be  unjust  to  attribute  such  delinquencies 
to  the  Catholic  religion,  when  we  know  that  they 
are  not  uncommon  among  Protestants  in  our  own 
land.  The  vices  and  supineness  of  the  Brazilians  do 
not  emanate  from  their  religion,  which,  with  all  its 
faults,  is  the  best  they  can  have.  Without  it,  as  I  have 
endeavored  to  show,  there  would  be  anarchy.  He 
must  be  a  careless  observer  of  society  who  does  not 
see  that  its  pest  in  Brazil  is  amalgamation  —  the  mix- 
ing of  two  bloods  which  the  Almighty  never  intended 
to  course  in  one  current. 

Actors  and  actresses,  all  over  the  world,  are  often 
regarded  as  of  doubtful  reputation.  Certainly  in  our 
country  this  imputation  is  most  unjust.  But  in  Brazil 
an  actress  who  is  not  a  prostitute  would  be  shunned, 
as  unfit  for  the  boards  of  the  theatres.  It  seems 
strange  that  the  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  containing 
more  than  four  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  cannot 
support  one  respectable  theatre  or  opera-house.  I 
use  the  word  respectable  in  reference  to  size  as 
well  as  to  morality.  There  are  the  large  theatre  of 
Pedro  II.  and  the  Italian  opera-house,  both  of  which 
the  government  endeavored  to  encourage.  But 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  1 77 

neither  a  correct  dramatic  taste  nor  a  love  for  the 
perfection  of  music  in  acting  existed.  Both  these 
houses  are  large,  commodious,  and  well  ventilated,  but 
they  are  closed  for  want  of  patronage.  The  crowd 
throng  to  two  stifling  little  dens  called  the  Alcazar 
and  the  El  Dorado,  where  a  company  of  strumpets 
exhibit  themselves  nightly  for  the  public  entertain- 
ment. 

Every  people  must  have  something  to  quarrel  about, 
some  parties  to  uphold,  either  religious,  political,  or  — 
something  else.  The  inhabitants  of  Rio  de  Janeiro 
do  not  trouble  themselves  about  high  and  low  church, 
abolition,  temperance,  or  women's  rights.  It  would 
be  amusing  to  hear  any  one  advocate  these  two  last 
Boston  notions  in  Brazil !  But  there  are  the  great 
Aimee  and  Lovato  parties.  The  young  ladies  who 
bear  these  names  are  rival  actresses,  both  beautiful, 
both  sweet  singers  and  agile  dancers,  and  each  pos- 
sessing a  multitude  of  lovers.  Every  play-goer  be- 
longs to  the  party  either  of  Aimee  or  of  Lovato.  As 
they  both  appear  together  on  the  boards  of  the  Alca- 
zar, the  rival  shouts  of,  "  Bravo,  Aimee ! "  "  Bravo, 
Lovato !  "  frequently  interrupt  the  performance  with 
their  noisy  clamor.  The  favorites  are  fired  at  with 
volleys  of  bouquets,  till  the  stage  becomes  a  perfect 
flower  garden.  Then  the  young  ladies,  with  a  view 
to  economy,  collect  the  offerings,  smile  sweetly  upon 

12 


1^  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

their  admirers,  and  pass  the  flowers  out  from  the  side 
door,  whence  they  are  carried  to  the  front  and  sold 
again.  Whole  columns  of  the  morning  papers  are 
filled  with  praises  in  prose  and  in  verse,  as  well  as 
with  abusive  criticisms  of  these  actresses.  The  rep- 
resentation of  the  previous  night  is  the  topic  of  con- 
versation on  the  next  day,  and  gives  rise  to  many 
loud  words  and  awful  threats,  which  never  amount 
to  much,  for  the  Brazilians  always  stop  short  of  blows 
and  duels. 

Besides  these  little  play-houses,  where  the  pieces  are 
always  French,  there  is  a  small  Portuguese  theatre, 
which  the  emperor  sometimes,  though  rarely,  at- 
tends. Such  is  the  staple  of  theatrical  entertainment 
for  this  great  city.  Religion  as  truly  takes  its  place 
in  Brazil  with  gaudy  shows  and  imposing  ceremo- 
nies, as  it  serves  the  same  purpose,  in  many  large 
New  England  towns,  with  class  meetings  and  evening 
lectures. 


179 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Personal  Observations.  —  Writers  on  Brazil.  —  E-wbank, 
Fletcher  •)  Agassiz.  —  Inducements  to  settle  there.  —  South- 
ern Coasting  Trade.  —  Unsuccessful  Attempt  to  Re- open 
it. —  Sale  of  Steamer  Tejuca,  and  Return  Home.  —  South- 
ern Colonists  in  Brazil.  —  Drain  of  Men  and  Money  by  the 
War.  —  Dangers  to  flow  therefrom.  —  A  Word  of  Cau- 
tion. 

I  HAVE  endeavored,  as  much  as  possible,  to  com- 
press these  observations  into  a  small  compass, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  give  the  reader  a  general  idea 
of  the  nature  of  the  country,  and  of  the  pursuits  and 
character  of  its  people,  in  most  respects  so  different 
from  our  own.  It  would  be  unjust  to  the  Brazilians 
to  pretend  that  an  acquaintance  with  a  comparatively 
small  part  of  their  vast  empire  can  enable  any  one  to 
form  a  correct  opinion  of  the  whole.  No  one,  who 
has  written  upon  the  subject  as  yet,  has  travelled  over 
its  length  and  breadth.  Ewbank  was  the  best  obser- 
ver, and  a  most  graphic  delineator  ;  but  his  researches 
scarcely  extended  beyond  the  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro. 
Mr.  Fletcher  has  certainly  produced  the  largest  book. 


I  SO  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

In  a  few  months  Professor  Agassiz  and  his  accom- 
plished wife  will  gratify  the  public  with  an  account 
of  their  extensive  explorations.  Their  work  will  be 
welcomed  by  the  scientific,  and  by  all  who  can  appre- 
ciate unsurpassed  descriptive  talents. 

Those  who  have  read  Mr.  Fletcher's  book  will  not 
fail  to  notice  that  either  his  prejudices  or  my  own  in- 
cline us  to  take  different  views.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered, however,  that  my  observations  are  confined  to 
particular  localities,  and  the  inferences  of  general 
character  are  chiefly  drawn  from  what  was  seen  at 
the  capital,  and  within  a  few  hundred  miles  of  it. 
My  business  was  neither  that  of  a  tract  distributor, 
such  as  Mr.  Fletcher's,  nor  one  of  scientific  research, 
like  that  of  Professor  Agassiz,  nor  of  colonization, 
for  which  purpose  Rev.  Mr.  Dunn  has  made  his  ex- 
plorations. I  had  no  occasion  to  flatter  the  emperor 
or  his  people ;  nor  could  my  position  or  merits 
deserve  any  notice  from  them,  such  as  was  due  to 
Professor  Agassiz,  of  whom,  in  passing,  I  cannot 
forbear  to  relate  an  anecdote  which  he  may  forget  to 
chronicle.  When  the  emperor  was  about  leaving  for 
the  Rio  de  la  Plata,  at  a  very  critical  period  of  the 
war,  in  order  to  encourage  the  army  by  his  presence, 
the  professor  addressed  him  a  note,  conveying  his  best 
wishes  for  his  success  and  speedy  return,  adding,  in  a 
postscript,  "  If  you  have  time  while  there,  don't  for- 


TEN    MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  l8l 

get  to  bring  back  some  specimens  of  fish  from  that 
river."  Dom  Pedro  complied,  and  the  emperor's  fish 
are  probably  in  the  Museum  at  Cambridge. 

If  any  value  is  attached  to  this  little  work  beyond 
affording  an  hour's  amusement,  it  is  that  of  conveying 
some  idea  of  the  commercial  character  of  Southern 
Brazil,  and  of  the  inducements  offered  to  Americans  to 
enter  upon  its  coasting  trade  or  to  settle  in  the  country. 
I  have  not  dealt  in  statistics,  as  such  are  uninteresting 
to  most  readers.  In  wading  through  Mr.  Fletcher's 
book,  these  may  be  found  here  and  there  ;  but  the  best 
compendium  is  a  little  volume  written  by  Mr.  Scully, 
editor  of  the  "  Anglo-Brazilian  Times,"  published  in 
Rio  de  Janeiro.  It  contains  the  most  accurate  infor- 
mation upon  those  points. 

An  American  company  is  now  being  formed  for  the 
Brazilian  coasting  trade.  A  mail  contract  is  guaran- 
teed to  it,  and  large  hopes  of  its  success  are  enter- 
tained by  those  who  are  interested  in  it.  There  are 
some  towns  south  of  Santos  which  make  large  figures 
upon  the  map  ;  such  as  Canonea,  Iguape,  and  Parana- 
gua.  The  new  American  line  is  to  take  the  place 
of  a  former  subsidized  line  of  Brazilian  boats,  once 
running  to  these  ports.  That  was  discontinued  for 
want  of  patronage,  and  the  company  made  a  com- 
plete failure. 

Several  months  had  elapsed,  during  which  there  had 


1 82  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

been  no  steam  communication  with  those  towns,  and 
the  newspapers  were  continually  publishing  letters 
purporting  to  come  from  their  people,  urging  govern- 
ment or  private  individuals  to  put  steamers  again 
upon  the  route.  I  accordingly  advertised  my  steamer, 
and  sent  notices  to  all  the  ports  on  the  coast,  long  in 
advance  of  sailing.  We  made  three  trips,  being  de- 
termined to  open  the  trade  again  if  possible.  The 
attempt  was  abortive,  for  there  was  not  freight  enough 
in  all  these  voyages  to  pay  for  the  coal  consumed  on 
one  of  them.  The  towns  are  all  wretched  little  vil- 
lages, and  offer  no  inducements  or  conveniences  for 
commerce.  We  found  the  people  entirely  indifferent 
to  commercial  enterprise.  They  were  glad  to  see 
a  steamer,  as  they  preferred  her  to  a  sailing  vessel, 
because  of  greater  speed  and  better  accommodations  ; 
but  they  argued  that  they  required  no  steamers  for 
cargo.  They  owned  a  number  of  small  brigs  and 
schooners,  which  they  were  accustomed  to  despatch 
to  Rio  de  Janeiro  with  rice,  and  to  Buenos  Ayres 
with  mate  (the  native  tea).  On  arrival  there,  the  car- 
go is  peddled  out  from  on  board.  They  consider  the 
saving  of  storage  and  of  trans-shipment  as  more  than 
an  equivalent  for  despatch.  On  their  return  the  same 
little  craft  bring  whatever  cargo  is  offered,  the  time 
occupied  being  a  matter  of  supreme  indifference. 
Despairing,  therefore,  of  success  under  such  cir- 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  183 

cumstances,  I  sailed  for  Montevideo  in  September, 
1866,  and  sold  the  Tejuca  there. 

Returning  to  the  United  States,  we  learn  that  a 
greater  number  of  emigrants  from  the  South  than  we 
had  supposed,  have  lately  gone  to  Brazil.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Dunn,  a  secessionist  ex-clergyman,  is  at  the  head 
of  the  chief  American  colony.  This  is  on  the  Ribeira 
River,  a  stream  which  enters  the  ocean  near  Iguape. 
It  is  navigable  for  light  draught  steamers,  and  if  the 
representations  of  the  reverend  gentleman,  who  came 
up  with  us  on  one  of  our  return  voyages,  can  be  relied 
upon,  there  are  offered  great  inducements  for  settle- 
ment in  that  vicinity.  Cotton,  rice,  and  corn  flourish 
abundantly,  and  all  that  is  wanted  is  protection  of 
property  by  government  and  systematic  labor.  At 
present,  jealousy  of  foreigners  makes  a  residence  there 
too  exciting  to  be  pleasant,  and  labor  is  scarce  and 
uncertain.  It  is  the  avowed  determination  of  the 
reverend  head  of  this  colony,  that  his  people  shall 
keep  themselves  separate  from  Northerners.  If  any 
such  should  show  themselves  upon  the  Ribeira,  they 
may  expect  to  be  driven  away^  as  the  Quakers  were 
once  ousted  from  the  sacred  soil  of  New  England. 

I  have  already  called  attention  to  the  progress 
which  Brazil  has  made  in  the  cultivation  of  cotton. 
The  labor  question,  however,  is  as  great  a  difficulty 
there  as  it  is  in  the  United  States.  It  is  true  that  sla- 


184  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

very  still  exists  in  Brazil,  giving  the  native  planters  a 
great  advantage.  But  this  is  partly  balanced  by  their 
lack  of  skill  and  energy.  A  few  southern  gentlemen, 
who  have  emigrated  with  money  in  their  pockets, 
have  bought  negroes,  and  already  have  large  planta- 
tions in  successful  operation.  But  the  majority  of  the 
emigrants  are  too  lazy  to  -work,  and  too  proud  to  beg 
for  any  thing  but  a  passage  home. 

Soon  the  pressure  of  the  abolition  party  in  Brazil, 
aided  by  the  influence  of  England  and  the  United 
States,  will  terminate  slavery  altogether.  The  shock 
upon  society  will  not  be  so  great  there  as  it  has  been 
here,  and  the  absence  of  distinctions  of  color  will  aid 
in  incorporating  the  blacks  into  the  body  politic. 
Abolition  will  not  cause  the  ultimate  extinction  of 
the  inferior  race,  but  the  whole  agglomerated  mass  of 
mulatto  humanity  will  live  together  or  die  together, 
as  the  future  may  determine. 

Labor  in  Brazil  is  becoming  still  more  difficult  to 
be  procured,  as  the  country  is  depopulated  by  the 
hopeless  Paraguayan  war.  This  war  never  would 
have  been  undertaken,  had  the  cost  been  counted ; 
but  it  is  now  persevered  in  through  the  necessity  of 
maintaining  the  national  honor.  It  is  already  telling 
severely  upon  the  vitality  of  the  empire,  and  is  fast 
exhausting  its  financial  resources.  It  was  popular 
in  the  outset,  when  the  conquest  of  Paraguay  was 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  185 

thought  an  easy  matter.  There  were  some  early 
kindlings  of  genuine  patriotism,  and  the  courage  of 
the  Brazilian  youth  showed  itself  inferior  to  none. 
But  gradually,  as  the  magnitude  of  the  undertaking 
became  apparent,  and  the  stubbornness  of  the  foe 
was  experienced,  the  fire  and  enthusiasm  died  out. 
Recruiting  for  each  succeeding  campaign  became 
more  difficult.  The  levies  are  now  forced,  and  the 
living  material  of  war  is  becoming  more  worthless,  as 
well  as  more  scarce.  The  fishermen  and  the  poor- 
er classes  of  the  seaport  towns  hide  themselves  in 
the  mountains  to  escape  impressment.  The  motley 
crowd  of  yellow  and  black  vagabonds  sent  to  become 
food  for  the  Paraguayans'  powder,  or  for  the  malaria 
of  their  marshes,  excites  more  contempt  than  fear. 

It  may  be  fairly  estimated  that  less  than  one  half 
the  money  expended  is  for  legitimate  purposes ;  the 
larger  part  of  it  going  to  enrich  speculators  and  pol- 
iticians. As  we  are  now  paying  the  interest  upon  a 
debt  contracted  in  a  somewhat  similar  manner,  we 
may  sympathize  with  the  Brazilians,  who  are  less 
able  to  afford  such  luxuries.  Heretofore  the  ex- 
penses of  the  government  have  been  met  principally 
by  the  custom-house  receipts,  all  other  imposts  hav- 
ing been  very  light.  When  an  internal  revenue  tax 
shall  be  levied  upon  the  mass  of  the  people,  there  is 
serious  reason  to  apprehend  that  its  enforcement, 


1 86  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

added  to  other  disturbing  causes  already  at  work,  will 
bring  the  government  and  the  constitution  into  dan- 
ger. It  may  be  well  for  those  who  fear  a  similar 
catastrophe  at  home  to  reflect  upon  this,  in  consider- 
ing the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  emigration 
to  Brazil. 


NOTE. 

The  towns  of  Iguape,  Canonea,  and  Paranagua,  which  have 
been  mentioned  in  this  chapter,  were  founded  by  the  Jesuits, 
who  established  themselves  in  Brazil  soon  after  its  discovery. 
The  chief  evidences  of  their  existence  at  the  present  day  are 
the  ruins  of  old  churches  and  monasteries  built  by  these 
zealous  missionaries. 


i87 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

Abolition  of  Slavery  in  Brazil.  —  Free  Labor  and  Free 
Trade  for  all  the  World.  —  The  Slave  Trade  Twenty 
Tears  ago.  —  England's  Disinterestedness.  —  The  Necessity 
of  obtaining  Laborers  from  Africa. 

REFERENCE  has  been  made  in  the  preceding 
chapter  and  elsewhere  to  the  system  of  labor 
in  Brazil.  A  further  consideration  of  it  is  naturally 
suggested  by  the  news  just  received.  While  the  last 
pages  were  in  press,  we  have  learned  that  a  project 
has  been  nearly  matured  for  the  abolition  of  slavery 
in  thirty-three  years  from  this  time,  and  that  all 
children  born  after  the  proclamation  shall  be  free. 
The  desired  end  will  thus  be  reached  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  community  will  be  better  prepared 
for  it  than  were  the  people  of  our  southern  states, 
and  consequently  such  suffering  as  has  fallen  upon 
whites  and  blacks  with  us  will  be  avoided.  Un- 
doubtedly this  action  of  the  Brazilian  government 
has  been  incited  by  England  and  the  United  States. 
These  countries  have  now  only  to  bring  the  same 
influence  to  bear  upon  Spain,  and  then,  be  it 


1 88  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

advantageous  or  not  to  the  colonies  affected  by  it,  all 
nations  will  be  on  an  equality  as  regards  labor,  and 
the  white  man  everywhere,  as  well  as  the  black  man, 
will  have  "  a  fair  chance  "  in  this  respect.  When  the 
slavery  of  tariffs  and  the  tyranny  of  protection  are 
abolished,  another  weight  will  be  lifted  from  the  back 
of  free  labor.  Then  it  will  arise  in  all  its  dignity,  and 
wherever,  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  intellect  can  _  nerve 
the  arm,  there  will  its  force  and  superiority  be  of  right 
acknowledged. 

As  the  period  of  manumission  in  Brazil  is  so  far 
distant,  the  present  cost  of  labor  and  production  in 
that  country  will  not  be  affected  by  it ;  so  that  what 
has  been  said  upon  these  points  needs  no  revision. 
Even  if  emancipation  had  been  immediate,  it  will  be 
seen  that  other  causes  would  give  Brazil  an  advantage 
over  the  United  States  in  the  cultivation  of  cotton. 
But  as  slavery  is  to  endure  for  so  many  years  longer, 
whatever  economy  there  is  in  it  is  to  be  added  to 
these.  If,  in  years  past,  Brazil  had  been  left  to  her- 
self, she  would  doubtless  have  continued  the  importa- 
tion of  slaves  in  such  numbers  that,  however  much  it 
might  have  cheapened  the  cost  of  her  productions,  it 
would  unquestionably  have  resulted  in  the  extermina- 
tion of  the  whites. 

It  may  be  excusable,  in  this  connection,  to  introduce 
a  view  of  slavery  taken  twenty  years  ago,  at  a  time 


TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  109 

when  no  hopes  were  entertained  of  its  speedy  death, 
either  in  a  natural  or  in  a  violent  manner.  There 
have  always  been  various  plans  of  philanthropy  afloat 
in  the  world.  If  this  one  was  somewhat  erratic,  it 
was  at  least  sincere.  "  The  greatest. good  of  the  great- 
est number "  is  sound  republican  doctrine ;  and  to 
those  who  regard  all  races  as  included  in  the  enumer- 
ation, this  plan  ought  not  to  seem  very  objectionable. 
Certain  philosophers,  however,  who  pretend  to  admit 
that  theory,  have  taken  a  very  different  course  of 
action  from  such  a  one  as  its  natural  inferences  would 
suggest.  They  seem  'to  have  considered  that  the 
best  way  to  civilize  the  negro  and  to  promote  his  hap- 
piness on  this  continent  was  speedily  to  annihilate  his 
race,  even  if  this  desirable  result -could  only  be  ob- 
tained by  sacrificing  half  a  million  of  white  men. 
This  costly  offering,  we  all  know,  was  made  for  the 
preservation  of  the  Union  ;  but  there  are  those  ghouls 
among  us  who  felicitate  themselves  that  it  was  for  the 
realization  of  their  one  idea. 

On  my  first  voyage  to  Brazil,  in  the  year  1847,  the 
following  letter  formed  a  part  of  my  correspondence 
with  the  "  Boston  Journal."  The  slave  trade  was,  at 
that  time,  carried  on  in  such  a  barbarous  and  revolting 
manner  that  any  suggestions  for  its  amelioration,  even 
to  legalizing  it,  did  not  seem  inappropriate.  In  those 
days  many  of  us  distrusted  the  sincerity  of  England ; 


190  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

and  this  feeling  is  not  yet  entirely  eradicated  from  all 
minds.  It  was  thought  that  the  British  government, 
having  been  compelled  by  the  persistent  efforts  of 
Wilberforce  and  his  associates  to  abolish  slavery  in  its 
own  possessions,  .was  urging  the  same  course  upon 
other  nations  upon  the  principle  of  the  fox  that  had 
lost  his  tail.  The  sudden  change  of  sentiment,  when 
lately  her  own  interests  were  involved,  which  induced 
her  to  take  the  part  of  that  section  of  our  country 
where  slavery  existed,  fully  justifies  the  opinion  of  her 
time-serving  duplicity  which  we  then  entertained. 

It  may  be  remarked  that,  when  this  letter  was  writ- 
ten, the  author  indulged  the  idea  that  the  African  was 
capable  of  self-government,  and  that  he  might  perhaps 
become  in  all  respects  the  equal  of  the  white  man.  A 
further  acquaintance  with  the  race  at  home  and  in 
Brazil,  in  the  West  Indies  and  in  various  parts  of 
their  native  Africa,  has  considerably  modified  this 
opinion. 

"  Rio  DE  JANEIRO,  January,  1847. 

"  The  chief  misery  of  the  slaves,  after  leaving  Africa, 
consists  in  their  treatment  during  the  voyage.  Once 
safely  landed,  who  will  suppose  for  a  moment  that 
they  are  as  unhappy  here  as  at  home,  where  they  are 
born  slaves,  and  made  the  tools  of  their  savage  masters 
to  fight  their  battles,  and  offered  up  by  hundreds  at  a 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  191 

time  to  grace  the  ceremonies  of  a  feast,  or  self-sacrificed 
on  the  altars  of  their  own  abominable  Fetish  rites? 

"  So  long  as  the  tide  of  emigration  flows  from 
Northern  Europe  to  the  United  States  (and  thither  it 
will  continue  to  flow  for  many  years  to  come),  Europe 
will  not  attempt  to  colonize  distant  Brazil ;  but  Africa 
will  do  it,  and  is  already  doing»so,  notwithstanding  all 
England's  hollow-hearted  and  hypocritical  interfer- 
ence. The  doctrine  I  am  about  to  advocate  may  seem 
strange  to  many  readers  ;  but  wait  before  you  condemn 
it.  For  the  sake  of  humanity,  and  of  eventually  civil- 
izing Africa,  rendering  its  people  happy,  and  spread- 
ing Christian  truth  among  them,  take  off  every  restric- 
tion upon  the  slave  trade  between  Africa  and  Brazil ; 
for  the  obstacles  thrown  in  its  way  render  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  negroes  tenfold  greater  than  if  the  trade 
were  free.  The  number  annually  imported  now  can- 
not be  ascertained  ;  but  I  know  that  while  we  were  in 
Rio  (thirty  days),  four  thousand  were  landed  in  its 
immediate  vicinity  from  five  small  vessels.  We  are 
not  informed  how  many  were  landed  on  other  parts  of 
this  extensive  coast  in  the  same  time.  It  is  scarcely 
possible  to  conceive  that  one  of  these  vessels  of  two 
hundred  tons  could  have  brought  one  thousand  and 
five  negroes  safely,  having  had  on  board,  probably, 
on  leaving  the  coast,  about  twelve  hundred,  twenty 
per  cent,  being  the  usual  allowance  given  to  death. 


192  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

Who  can  imagine  anything  more  horrible  than  their 
situation  for  thirty  days,  while  crossing  on  the  warm- 
est latitudes  of  the  earth,  stowed  with  the  nicest  cal- 
culations of  a  stevedore  in  that  vessel's  hold,  living 
and  dying  packed  together ! 

"  The  slavers  are  now  so  closely  watched  on  the 
African  coast  that  an  crwner  makes  his  calculations  to 
lose  one  vessel  out  of  three  ;  and  if  necessity  demands 
it,  no  hesitation  is  made  in  throwing  overboard  cargo 
to  escape  detection !  The  consequence  is,  that  the 
only  requisite  quality  in  a  vessel  is  her  sailing,  old 
ones  being  generally  used  in  the  trade,  as  subjecting 
to  less  loss  when  captured.  England  has  the  credit 
of  doing  a  great  deal  to  stop  the  trade,  from  the  cir- 
cumstance that  her  vessels  so  strictly  watch  the  slavers. 
Well,  so  they  do  ;  and  we  see  the  consequences.  But 
does  she  this  from  motives  of  humanity?  Her  people 
think  so,  and  so  do  some  of  ours.  Let  us  see.  She 
has  now  a  want  of  laborers  in  her  colonies.  She  has 
abolished  the  slave  trade.  Where,  then,  shall  she  get 
her  slaves,  or  (if  you  like  a  softer  name)  her  appren- 
tices? By  robbing  the  Brazilian  who  has  paid  for 
them,  and  stealing  his  vessel,  and  sending  these  ne- 
groes, with  their  native  land  in  sight,  to  be  appren- 
ticed in  the  West  India  Islands.  I  have  been  in  St. 
Helena,  an  island  but  a  few  days'  sail  from  the  Afri- 
can coast,  where  five  thousand  negroes,  taken  from 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  193 

Portuguese  slavers  (which  were  broken  up  or  used  for 
the  British  navy),  were  waiting  for  English  vessels  to 
come  and  take  them  away  to  English  colonies  — 
apprentices !  Yet  above  the  groans  of  her  subjugated 
millions  in  Asia,  where,  to  increase  her  dominion,  she 
has  just  dyed  the  waters  of  the  Sutlej  the  color  of  her 
boasted  flag ;  above  the  maniac  yell  of  the  poor  Chi- 
nese, whose  body  and  soul  she  is  willing  to  enslave 

for  the  revenue  derived  from  the 

* 

4  Blasted  leaves  and  death-distilling  fruit ' 

of  Patna  and  Benares ;  above  the  wails  that  come 
louder  on  our  ears,  because  they  are  from  our  breth- 
ren, starving  slaves  in  her  factories  and  coal  mines  at 
home,  —  we  hear  her  screech-owl  voice,  everlastingly 
giving  forth  its  discordant  notes  upon  American 
slavery,  which  she  first  introduced  among  us,  and 
whining  because  she  cannot  have  the  '  right  of 
search ' ! 

"  I  have  said  that  Brazil  is  destined  to  be  colonized 
by  Africa,  and  I  think  that  Brazilians  of  intelligence 
themselves  are  aware  of  it.  Their  country  will  yet  be 
peopled  and  governed  by  blacks.  Then  we  can  intro- 
duce arts,  science,  and  religion  among  them  on  this 
healthy  continent,  while  death  will  always  be,  as  it 
has  ever  been,  the  doom  of  the  white  man  who  at- 
tempts to  settle  in  Africa.  When  this  is  accomplished, 
13 


194  TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL. 

the  inhabitants  will  have  a  commerce  of  their  own 
with  the  opposite  coast ;  and  commerce  carries  civili- 
zation with  it  wherever  it  goes.  First  enlightened  here, 
its  influence  will  be  felt  across  the  South  Atlantic ; 
and  that  land,  impenetrable  by  us,  will  have  its  dark- 
ness scattered  by  the  sun  of  righteousness,  and  its 
deserts  will  blossom  as  the  rose.  And  this  will  be 
more  speedily  accomplished  if  the  Brazilian  slave 
trade  is  freely  allowed. 

"  By  the  laws  of  Brazil,  every  slave  may  purchase 
his  freedom  at  a  fairly  appraised  value,  and  the  mas- 
ters are  obliged  to  accept  the  price.  Many  negroes 
hire  their  own  time,  being  still  fed  and  clothed  by 
their  owners,  leaving,  over  and  above  what  they  pay 
them,  one  half  to  three  quarters  of  a  dollar  per  diem 
for  themselves.  Thus,  in  two  or  three  years,  they 
can,  and  frequently  do,  become  free. 

"  Now,  open  the  trade.  It  will  be  then  thrown  into 
the  hands  of  others  besides  the  few  capitalists,  who 
only  can  now  afford  to  run  the  vessels  ;  the  trade  being 
made  legal,  suitable  regulations  can  be  enforced,  as 
with  our  emigrant  ships,  in  regard  to  tonnage,  water, 
and  accommodations.  Ship-owners  will  be  satisfied 
with  moderate  profits,  and  the  value  of  negroes  will 
come  down  to  so  small  a  sum  that  the  slaves  can  pur- 
chase their  freedom  sooner  than  England's  stolen  ap- 
prentices can  work  out  theirs.  The  slave  trade  will 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  195 

be  the  same,  from  competition,  as  emigration  now  is 
from  the  Azores  and  Cape  cle  Verds  to  Brazil,  vessels 
frequently  arriving  from  those  islands  with  passengers, 
who  are  sold  by  the  captains  into  slavery  (or  any 
other  equivalent  term  you  may  substitute)  to  work 
until  they  have  earned  a  sufficient  amount  to  pay  their 
passages.  They  are  content,  for  they  are  soon  free, 
and  happier  than  they  were  at  home  ;  and  what  hard- 
ships have  they  there  to  complain  of,  compared  with 
the  African  in  his  miserable  home ! 

"  Could  suitable  means  be  thus  devised  for  the 
negro's  emigration,  and  had  they  knowledge  of  how 
much  better  their  condition  would  be  here,  would 
they  not  gladly  flock  to  Brazil  upon  the  same  terms  as 
these  less  wretched  islanders?" 

Npw,  I  do  not  any  longer  believe  in  such  a  grand 
missionary  programme  as  this,  but  I  do  believe  that 
Brazil  cannot  be  supplied  writh  labor  unless  there 
shall  be  a  species  of  coolie  trade  between  that  country 
and  Africa,  which  in  many  respects  will  not  differ 
from  the  plan  proposed.  It  is  with  great  diffidence, 
and  with  a  consciousness  of  its  little  weight,  that  I 
record  an  opinion  opposed  to  that  of  my  learned  and 
scientific  friend,  Professor  Agassiz,  who  thinks  that 
Brazil  is  a  country  adapted  to  white  labor.  I  do  not 


196  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

believe  that  this  is  true,  to  a  considerable  extent,  in 
regard  to  any  country  within  the  tropics. 

In  the  British  East  Indian  possessions  there  can 
scarcely  be  found  a  descendant  of  the  third  generation 
of  pure  English  blood;  and  in  those  regions  a  white 
man  never  exposes  himself  to  the  rays  of  the  sun 
unless  protected  by  an  umbrella  —  an  inconvenient 
encumbrance  when  occupied  with  the  shovel  and  the 
hoe.  Everywhere,  in  hot  climates,  Europeans  become 
enervated  and  unfit  for  toil.  Brazil  will  scarcely 
form  an  exception  to  other  countries  of  the  same  lati- 
tudes. 

In  the  more  southern  provinces,  and  on  the  higher 
levels,  white  colonization  may  succeed ;  at  least,  if 
there  is  nothing  but  climatic  difficulties  to  oppose  it. 
Notwithstanding  that  an  unexpected  number  have 
emigrated  from  our  southern  states,  it  is  not  to  be  sup- 
posed that  many  more  will  follow  their  example,  now 
that  they  will  find  labor  so  difficult  to  be  obtained. 
There  is  an  immense  area  of  land  on  this  northern 
continent  sufficient  to  attract  our  attention,  and  that 
of  all  Europe,  before  it  is  time  to  pour  an  overplus 
into  South  America.  Black  labor  from  the  nearest 
market  is  therefore  a  necessity  for  Brazil,  even  if  the 
result  of  its  importation  should  eventually  be  a  black 
empire. 

There  is  a  race  of  negroes  from  Minas,  a  territory 


TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL.  19^ 

on  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  differing  from  all  other 
blacks.  They  are  of  immense ,  frames,  and  capable 
of  great  endurance.  The  women  are  finely  formed, 
and  by  the  Brazilians  are  considered  beautiful  and 
charming.  Both  males  and  females  display  a  re- 
markable degree  of  intelligence.  They  are  very  clan- 
nish, speaking  a  language  among  themselves,  unintel- 
ligible to  others,  and  practising  the  rites  of  their 
Mohammedan  faith  from  one  generation  to  another, 
unallured  by  the  tempting  ceremonies  of  the  Catholic 
church.  As  slaves,  they  are  valued  at  more  than 
double  the  price  of  other  negroes ;  and  as  freemen, 
they  are  useful  citizens,  for  they  will  work  of  their 
own  accord  as  no  other  blacks  will  do,  with  regard  to 
the  future.  These  "  Minas"  frequently  purchase  their 
freedom,  and  return  to  Africa,  often  coming  back 
again  to  Brazil.  They  sometimes  charter  vessels  for 
this  purpose,  after  the  manner  already  described  of 
the  Western  Islanders,  who,  without  having  been 
slaves,  have  worked  out  the  temporary  servitude  into 
which  they  are  sold  by  the  Portuguese  captains. 

Therefore,  as  the  want  of  labor  is  more  and  more 
felt,  it  will  not  be  surprising  if  emigration  companies 
are  organized  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  cargoes  of 
these  people  from  Africa  to  Brazil,  as  Irishmen  and 
Germans  are  brought  from  Europe  to  America,  in 
comfortable  steamers,  at  a  small  expense.  Although, 


198  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

if  due  precautions  should  not  be  taken,  they  might, 
like  Chinese  coolies,  be  sometimes  bought,  or  "  Shang- 
haied," still  there  would  be  a  great  improvement  upon 
the  old  system  of  the  slave  trade.  The  Brazilian 
government  offers  no  objection  to  the  modified  traffic 
in  white  men  as  carried  on  by  the  Portuguese  ships, 
which  are  continually  bringing  emigrants  from  the 
Azores.  It  would  certainly  be  impolitic  to  oppose  it ; 
for  these  islanders  are  the  most  available  and  useful 
white  laborers  to  be  obtained,  and  they  are  of  real 
service  to  the  country ;  but  the  supply  from  this  source 
is  necessarily  limited.  There  must  inevitably  come  a 
more  pressing  demand  for  immigration.  The  Para- 
guayan war  has  robbed  the  country  of  its  best  free 
labor,  and  thousands  of  slaves  have  been  manumitted 
to  become  victims  for  the  same  sacrifice. 

But  peace  will  eventually  come ;  and  then  Brazil 
will  need  all  the  supplies  she  can  obtain  for  her  re- 
cuperation ;  then,  with  the  permission  of  England, 
whose  influence  is  still  supreme,  she  may  be  allowed 
to  import  apprentices,  coolies,  emigrants,  —  call  them 
by  what  name  you  will,  —  laborers,  at  any  rate,  from 
Africa. 


199 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Plan  of  Emancipation.  —  Kindly  Relations  between  Masters 
and  Slaves.  —  Intercession  and  Forgiveness.  —  Future 
Welfare  of  the  Freedmen  considered.  —  Du  Chailhi's  Es- 
timate of  the  Negro  Race.  —  Conclusion. 

THE  following  extract  from  the  "Diario"  (offi- 
cial organ   published   in    Rio    de  Janeiro)    of 
April  9,   1867,  furnishes  some  details  of  the  plan  of 
emancipation. 

"  There  is  no  imprudence  in  revealing  to  the  public  all  the 
facts  we  have  learned  on  the  subject.  Our  determination  is 
to  enlighten  the  people  as  to  the  events  with  which  they  ought 
to  be  familiar,  and  not  to  imitate  the  sad  example  furnished 
us  by  some  who  remain  silent  upon  the  most  important  is- 
sues of  the  day. 

"  In  our  opinion  the  project  which  is  to  form  the  ground- 
work of  future  parliamentary  discussion  is  now  elaborated. 
Already  is  a  step  made  which  honors  the  intentions  of  the 
government,  and  will  cause  the  country  to  be  the  object  of 
the  attention  and  sympathy  of  the  world.  The  plan  to  which 
we  allude  has  thus  far  been  canvassed  to  some  extent  in  the 
Council  of  State,  where  it  was  indorsed  by  an  almost  unani- 
mous decision. 

"The  following,  as  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  ascertain, 
are  the  bases  of  the  plan  :  — 

'•'•First.  —  Slavery  shall  cease  totally  in  the  year  1900,  that 
is,  in  thirty-three  years  hence. 

'•'•Second. — The  state  shall  indemnify  those  citizens  who 
may  still  own  slaves  at  that  period. 


200  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

"  Third.  —  From  the  date  of  the  promulgation  of  this  de- 
cree, all  children  born  to  slaves  shall  be  free. 

"  Fourth. — Those  children  who  may  be  educated  in  the 
houses  of  their  parents'  masters  shall  serve  them  till  they 
reach  their  twentieth  year,  and  will  then  be  restored  to 
freedom. 

"  Fifth. —  There  will  be  established  courts  of  emancipation  in 
all  the  towns  to  enforce  the  law  and  see  to  its  proper  execution. 

"  Sixth.  — A  fixed  amount  will  be  set  aside  for  the  emanci- 
pation of  the  slaves  of  the  nation,  and  the  same  terms  will  be 
agreed  upon  to  effect  the  liberation  of  the  slaves  owned  by 
religious  orders  as  may  be  made  to  purchase  the  freedom  of 
those  held  by  the  government. 

"  Seventh. — There  will  be  appropriated  a  fund  for  the 
annual  purchase  of  a  certain  number  of  slaves,  so  that  but 
few  may  be  in  bondage  when  the  hour  of  general  emancipa- 
tion is  at  hand. 

'•'  Such  are  the  features  of  the  plan,  and  after  due  considera- 
tion we  can  promise  its  originators  the  esteem  of  humanity 
and  the  gratitude  of  the  country. 

"  The  opinion  of  the  Brazilian  people  on  the  subject  of 
slavery  is  already  known.  All  detest  the  institution  in  its 
principle.  Such  demonstrations  as  have  come  to  our  knowl- 
edge prove  that  all  our  citizens  are  in  favor  of  the  spirit  of  the 
plan  developed  in  the  foregoing  summary.  It  is  looked  upon 
as  a  skilful  and  patriotic  solution  of  the  great  problem  that 
has  long  weighed  upon  the  mind  of  the  country. 

"  Accomplished  by  these  means,  emancipation  will  be 
effected  in  Brazil  without  creating  either  a  disturbance  or  a 
financial  crisis.  And  if,  concurring  with  the  plan  set  forth 
above,  the  government  favors  the  idea  of  spontaneous  emigra- 
tion, and  furnishes  resources  to  allpw  of  its  development  on  a 
large  scale,  the  country  will  enter  into  a  new  era,  and  settle 
its  future  destinies  upon  a  firm  and  glorious  basis. 

"  Instead  of  an  immediate  revolution,  we  favor  a  slow, 
gradual,  and  easy  transformation  of  ideas,  habits,  and  the 
mode  of  labor.  It  will  have  been,  not  a  panic,  but  a  peace- 
ful revolution,  the  salutary  reform,  regularly  perfected,  of  a 
whole  nation." 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  2OI 

This  is  certainly  a  fair  and  equitable  compromise 
between  the  opponents  and  the  advocates  of  slavery, 
and,  what  is  of  more  importance  to  humanity,  it 
makes  political  ends  subservient  to  the  real  interests 
and  welfare  of  the  negro.  Whatever  opinion  we  may 
hold  of  the  deficiencies  and  vices  of  the  Brazilians,  as 
being  in  many  respects  in  excess  of  our  own,  it  is  the 
result  of  my  observation,  and  I  believe  that  of  every 
one  who  has  investigated  the  subject,  that  they  are 
generally  kind  and  indulgent  masters,  treating  their 
slaves  with  much  greater  leniency  than  has  been  prac- 
tised by  any  other  people,  among  whom  the  u  institu- 
tion "  has  existed  in  modern  times.  Bancroft 

I  can  call  to  mind  many  touching  incidents  of  the 
kind  feelings  of  masters  and  servants  towards  each 
other.  Intercession,  even  from  a  stranger,  in  behalf 
of  a  slave,  however  much  his  owner  may  have  been 
provoked,  is  never  in  vain.  On  one  of  our  trips  from 
Paranagua  to  Santos,  several  runaway  negroes  were 
put  on  board,  much  against  my  will,  by  the  police, 
with  a  guard  who  were  to  deliver  them  over  to  their 
owner.  They  had  deserted  from  his  service  several 
months  before,  and  he  had  been  at  great  trouble  and 
expense  to  get  possession  of  them  again.  After  wan- 
dering hundreds  of  miles,  they  had  at  length  been 
captured,  and,  it  may  be  supposed,  were  now  on  their 
way  to  meet  with  severe  punishment.  They  evident- 
ly anticipated  it,  for  they  appeared  so  dejected  that 


202  TEN    MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

our  interest  and  sympathy  could  not  but  be  excited. 
Encouraged  by  this,  they  ventured  to  ask  me  to  speak 
to  their  master  in  their  behalf,  when  we  should  arrive. 
Upon  a  promise  to  do  so,  they  rose  from  their  de- 
spondency at  once,  for  they  were  perfectly  satisfied 
that  they  would  be  pardoned. 

On  hauling  in  to  the  wharf  at  Santos,  the  master, 
a  rather  ferocious-looking  fazendero  (planter),  was 
found  waiting  for  his  slaves.  As  he  stepped  on 
board,  I  invited  him  below,  and  then  asked  him  to 
forgive  the  runaways.  The  favor  was  immediately 
accorded.  He  gave  me  his  word  upon  it,  and  I  know 
that  he  kept  his  promise.  The  happy  negroes  kissed 
my  hand  as  they  followed  him  ashore,  and  we  said  to 
each  other,  "God  be  with  you!"  I  think  we  all 
felt  warm  under  our  jackets,  and  I  cannot  tell  whose 
satisfaction  was  the  greatest  —  that  of  the  master  who 
had  conquered  his  temper,  that  of  the  slaves  who 
were  grateful  for  forgiveness,  or  that  of  one  who,  at  so 
little  trouble  to  himself,  was  able  to  effect  a  recon- 
ciliation. 

And  now,  in  the  process  of  freeing  themselves  from 
the  reproach  which  modern  civilization  has  laid  upon 
slavery,  the  Brazilians  have  manifested  the  same 
spirit  of  kindness  to  the  freedman  of  the  future  with 
which  they  have  hitherto  treated  him  in  his  condition 
of  servitude.  Slavery  has  been  so  general  throughout 


TEN   MONTHS    IN   BRAZIL.  203 

the  empire,  that  no  section  of  it  is  ignorant  of  the 
character,  disposition,  and  requirements  of  the  negro. 
Consequently,  there  are  no  zealous  bigots  there  who 
have  never  had  the  opportunity  to  inform  themselves 
regarding  these  matters.  There  was  a  strong  anti- 
slavery  party,  but  there  were  few,  if  any,  of  its  adhe- 
rents who  advocated  immediate  emancipation.  There 
were  no  demagogues  who  could  ride  into  power  upon 
such  an  issue  there,  nor  was  there  any  disposition  to 
use  the  freedman  as  a  shuttlecock  to  be  knocked 
about  by  political  battledoors. 

The  temper  of  the  programme,  as  given  by  the 
"  Diario,"  is  far  different  from  this.  There  is  evi- 
dently a  sincere  wish  to  make  the  liberated  slave  a 
useful  citizen,  if  possible.  The  negro  is  everywhere 
among  the  Brazilians.  They  understand  him  thor- 
oughly, arid  have  no  need  to  go  to  Africa  to  learn 
what  Du  Chaillu  tells  us,  and  what  universal  ex- 
perience confirms  as  plain,  simple  truth,  divested  of 
all  pseudo-philanthropy  and  political  sentimentalism. 

"Whatever  may  be  our  sympathy,  —  primitive  man,  or 
rather  the  least  gifted  tribes  of  mankind,  must  disappear 
before  the  higher  intellect.  This  is  not  a  theory,  but  a  fact. 
There  are  many  causes  to  account  for  the  decrease  of  the 
negro.  I  think  everything  tends  to  show  that  the  negro  is  of 
great  antiquity,  and  has  remained  stationary.  The  working 
of  iron,  considering  the  very  primitive  way  they  work  it,  and 
how  easily  they  find  it,  must  have  been  known  to  them  from 
the  remotest  time ;  and  to  them  the  age  of  stone  and  bronze 


204  TEN   MONTHS    IN    BRAZIL. 

must  have  been  unknown.  As  to  his  future  capabilities,  I 
think  extreme  views  have  prevailed  among  us.  Some  hold 
the  opinion  that  the  negro  will  never  rise  higher  than  he  is ; 
others  think  that  he  is  capable  of  reaching  the  highest  state 
of  civilization  —  in  fact,  that  he  will  become  a  white  man. 
For  my  own  part,  I  do  not  agree  with  either  of  these  opin- 
ions. I  believe  the  negro  may  become  a  more  useful  member 
of  mankind  than  he  is  at  present;  that  he  can  be  raised  to  a 
higher  standard,  but  that  if  left  to  himself  he  will  soon  fall 
back  into  barbarism :  we  have  no  example  to  the  contrary. 
Though  a  people  may  be  taught  the  arts  and  sciences  known 
by  more  gifted  nations,  unless  they  have  the  power  of  progres- 
sion in  themselves,  they  must  inevitably  relapse,  in  the  course 
of  time,  into  their  former  state.  Of  all  the  uncivilized  races 
of  men,  the  negro  has  been  found  the  most  tractable  and  the 
most  docile,  and  he  possesses  excellent  qualities  that  com- 
pensate a  great  deal  for  his  bad  ones.  We  ought,  therefore, 
to  be  kind  to  him,  and  to  try  to  elevate  him.  That  he  will, 
in  the  course  of  time,  follow  the  lower  races  of  men  and  dis- 
appear, I  have  but  little  doubt."  —  Du  Chaillrfs  Lecture,  as 
reported  in  the  "  New  York  Tribune." 

The  ability  of  Brazil  to  make  good  her  promises  of 
compensation  to  the  slaveholders,  and  to  discharge 
her  other  pecuniary  obligations,  depends  very  much 
upon  the  results  of  the  struggle  in  which  she  is  at 
present  engaged.  In  the  Appendix  will  be  found  an 
article  from  the  "New  York  Herald"  of  May  19, 
which  furnishes  the  latest  intelligence  of  the  progress 
of  the  contest  with  Paraguay.  Its  statistics  may  be 
relied  upon,  as  they  are  doubtless  furnished  by 
the  accurate  correspondent  of  that  paper  at  Rio 
de  Janeiro,  who  has  access  to  the  best  sources  of 
information. 


APPENDIX. 


THE  MILITARY  PROBLEM  ON  THE  LA  PLATA. 

'THHE  great  war  of  the  allies  in  South  America,  having  for 
••-  its  direct  object  the  overthrow  of  Paraguay,  still  con- 
tinues. Of  the  Uruguay  contingent  of  two  thousand,  not  a 
man  remains.  Five  thousand  out  of  the  thirteen  thousand 
kept  in  the  field  by  the  Argentine  Republic  have  lately  been 
absent,  and  at  San  Luis  have  just  given  the  finishing  blow  to 
one  of  those  internal  gaucho  revolutions  which  are  periodi- 
cally waged  against  the  urban  power  of  the  republic.  The 
Brazilians,  numbering  thirty-two  thousand,  are  patiently 
awaiting  the  return  of  the  Argentine  troops,  and  the  attack 
of  a  column  of  eight  thousand  men,  under  Osorio,  who  are 
slowly  working  their  way  across  the  almost  impassable  wilds 
from  Rio  Janeiro  to  the  eastern  Paraguay  boundary.  It  is 
evident  that  the  allies  are  gathering  their  forces  for  a  final 
blow,  and  we  believe  if  Paraguay  stands  firm  under  the  assault 
she  has  nothing  more  to  fear. 

At  the  opening  of  the  contest  General  Mitre  declared  it 
would  be  a  " paseo  militar"  and  that  it  would  take  but  three 
months  to  reach  Asuncion.  The  Brazilians  were  no  less  san- 
guine. The  expression  of  these  ideas  indicated  a  great  lack 
of  military  talent  on  the  part  of  the  allied  generals ;  for  they 
were  to  assail  a  country  which  occupies  an  almost  impregna- 
ble position  relative  to  the  nations  around  it.  East,  west,  and 
south  are  streams  that  will  float  a  frigate,  while  the  northern 
boundary  is  a  vast  and  impenetrable  jungle,  frequently  over- 
flowed by  the  freshets  of  the  Paraguay  and  Parana  Rivers. 

(205) 


2O6  APPENDIX. 

The  bordering  territory,  both  east  and  west,  is  a  virgin  wild, 
while  the  southern  Paraguay  margin,  selected  by  the  allies  as 
the  vulnerable  point,  is  a  swamp  whose  deadly  malaria  keeps 
their  hospitals  filled  with  men,  who  rarely  rejoin  their  regi- 
ments. 

The  internal  elements  possessed  by  Paraguay  for  defence 
were  scarcely  inferior  to  the  external  ones  which  nature  has 
conferred  upon  her.  Up  to  1810,  the  foreign  and  native  ele- 
ment had  been  mingling,  until  the  result  was  a  compact  and 
homogeneous  people;  and  the  war- which  the  desperadoes 
from  the  Rio  Grande  province  of  Brazil  had  waged  against 
them  had  given  them  a  desperate  schooling,  and  conferred  a 
warlike  nature  upon  the  present  generation.  Francia  ruled 
from  1813  to  1840,  and  was  followed  by  a  still  ruder  despot, 
Carlos  Antonio  Lopez,  who  for  a  score  of  years  fastened 
firmly  the  despotism  in  which  Francia  had  trained  the  people. 
At  the  death  of  Lopez,  his  son,  the  present  ruler,  came  into 
power.  He  found  ready  at  hand  a  compact  nationality,  which 
had  never  known  any  but  the  channels  which  a  half  century 
of  despotism  had  carved  out  for  it.  Foreseeing  the  present 
struggle,  he  mobilized  the  nation,  built  workshops,  founde- 
ries,  powder-mills,  railroads,  fortifications,  brought  the  skilled 
workmen  and  science  of  Europe  to  his  aid,  and  made  the  vast 
military  camp  of  Paraguay  a  warlike  unit.  The  country  itself 
is  filled  with  almost  sufficient  natural  productions  to  support 
life,  where  the  people  are  so  simple  in  their  wants  and  habits. 
Thus  the  Paraguayan  camp  of  seventy  thousand  square  miles, 
containing  five  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  was  a  formi- 
dable adversary  to  attack,  especially  if  we  consider  that  there 
is  but  one  vulnerable  point  in  its  geographical  position  —  a 
point  which,  up  to  this  time,  the  allies  have  failed  to  approach. 

Against  all  this  the  allies  could  bring  no  proportionate 
strength.  The  overgrown  jungle,  called  Brazil,  making  war 
on  a  water  line  of  over  two  thousand  miles  in  length,  has 
been  forced  to  strain  its  young  nerves  almost  to  the  breaking. 
The  Argentine  Republic  was  already  exhausted  in  her  civil 
contests,  and  Uruguay  had  been  so  depopulated  in  her  wars 
that  her  first  effort  to  maintain  a  small  force  in  the  field  was 


APPENDIX.  2O7 

also  her  last.  Both  the  Argentine  Republic  and  Uruguay  also 
had  to  wage  war  at  an  immense  distance  from  their  base  — 
nearly  twelve  hundred  miles. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  combatants  scarcely  varied 
from  the  condition  of  the  other  elements  of  the  problem. 
Paraguay,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  had  a  general  revenue 
of  $3.750,000;  yerba  monopoly,  $3,000,000;  tithes  and  land 
rents,  $1,950,000;  making  a  total  revenue  of  $8,700,000.  The 
floating  debt  of  paper  currency  was  $2,000,000,  and  of  ex- 
ternal debts  she  had  none.  Her  accumulated  wealth  was 
immense  for  so  small  a  state,  and  immediately  available  for 
war  purposes. 

On  the  part  of  the  Argentine  Confederation,  Buenos  Ayres 
had  to  furnish  nearly  all  the  cash  that  came  from  the  republic, 
however  little  in  amount.  Buenos  Ayres  had  before  the  war 
a  home  and  foreign  debt  of  about  $29,000,000,  while  her  reve- 
nues, balanced  by  her  expenditures,  were  about  $7,000,000. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  contest,  the  currency  of  the  Bank  of 
Buenos  Ayres,  which  had  originally  been  issued  at  $17  paper 
to  the  gold  ounce,  had  already  depreciated  to  $425  per  ounce. 

Uruguay  was  even  too  poor  to  give  a  decent  outfit  to  her 
contingents.  The  state  was  already  loaded  with  mountains 
of  debt,  which  had  been  piled  one  on  the  other  during  her 
civil  wars.  From  her,  therefore,  the  allies  could  expect  only 
what  they  received  —  nothing. 

Nearly  the  whole  allied  force,  then,  was  to  draw  on  the 
Brazilian  purse ;  from  her  were  to  come  the  immense  expen- 
ditures necessary  to  carry  on  war  at  such  a  distance,  and 
under  such  adverse  circumstances ;  but  even  before  the  war 
she  was  heavily  loaded  with  a  debt  of  about  $125,000,000;  and 
to  this  she  has  added,  up  to  the  beginning  of  the  present  cam- 
paign, some  $200,000,000  more.  To  all  this  she  will  add  at 
least  $50,000,000  before  she  gets  out  of  this  Paraguay  trap ; 
and  when  peace  comes  she  will  find  that  $375,000,000  is  a 
very  rude  strain  upon  her  resources  —  so  rude,  indeed,  that 
it  is  doubtful  if  her  revenues  can  pay  the  interest  upon  the 
amount. 

Paraguay  then  was,  as  she  still  is,  the  superior  in  point  of 


208  APPENDIX. 

finances.  To  maintain  one  soldier  in  the  field,  it  costs  her 
twenty  per  cent,  of  what  it  costs  the  allies,  especially  the  Bra- 
zilians. It  appears,  then,  that  internally,  financially,  geo- 
graphically, and  in  point  of  topographical  barriers,  Paraguay 
was  and  is  a  compact  unit  of  force  difficult  to  assail. 

The  first  combats  of  Tuyuti  and  Curuzu,  on  Paraguayan 
soil,  taught  the  allied  army  that  it  had  rough  work  before  it. 
Curupaity,  a  very  inferior  fortification,  and  a  mere  outwork, 
has  long  held  them  in  check;  this  taken,  they  will  find  their 
labors  just  commenced;  and  at  Humaita  wild  work  awaits 
them.  The  vast  swamp  into  which  the  allied  troops  have 
been  foolishly  thrown  is  margined  by  a  series  of  formidable 
earthworks,  and  they  are  attacking  Paraguay  where  she  is  the 
best  defended  by  art  and  nature.  The  only  vulnerable  quarter 
which  might  have  given  hope  of  success  was  the  north-west, 
which  was  and  is  undefended  and  open  to  attack  from  the 
Gran  Chaco  of  the  Argentine  Republic.  Moreover,  one  of  the 
parties  most  interested  in  the  removal  of  the  Paraguayan 
stumbling-block  is  Bolivia.  Had  she  been  properly  ap- 
proached by  the  allies  at  the  outset,  a  Bolivian  contingent 
of  ten  thousand  men  would  have  settled  the  question  long 
since.  It  is  now  too  late;  Bolivia  is  enriching  herself  in  a 
very  profitable  trade  of  war  supplies,  which  she  is  constantly 
pouring  into  Paraguay,  and  which  assist  in  reducing  all  her 
neighbors  to  her  level. 

It  looks  as  if  the  allies  were  waging  a  contest  that  long 
since  became  hopeless.  The  quicker  they  close  the  war  by 
treaty,  the  better;  for  the  unnatural  alliance  between  the 
Argentine  Republic  and  Brazil,  were  their  efforts  successful, 
would  result  in  an  immediate  war  between  them  for  the 
spoils,  which  both  consider  necessary  to  their  territorial 
aggrandizement  and  future  progress.  —  New  Tork  Herald  of 
May  19. 


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Willis  the  Pilot ;   or,  Sequel  to  the  Swiss  Family 

Robinson.    With  numerous  illustrations.    16mo.    $1.50. 

Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments.      I2ino.     Muslin. 

With  eiirfit  fnll-pasre  illustrations.     (The  popular  edition  formerly  published  by 
-       r.-on&Co.)     $1.75. 

Amateur  Dramas  for  Parlor  Theatricals,  Evening 

-.laments,  and  School  Exhibitions-    By  Geo.  M.  Baker.   Illus.    Itimo.  $1.50. 


BH. 

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